Colorectal Cancer

Question: How rare are stomach and/or colorectal cancer occurances in teenagers? Also, does obesity dramatically increase the chances of a teen getting stomach and/or colorectal cancer?

Answer: Those two are extremely rare in a teen. Colorectal cancers are usual in the elderly, or tend to run in families. Stomach cancers are as well, very rare in teens. My husband, in general family practice, has never seen either in 25 years of practice.

Question: What body systems does Colorectal Cancer effect? I am researching Colorectal Cancer for a school assignment, and I wanted to know all of the body systems that were affected by it. I've looked at several sites and have gotten very little info on the body systems, though I've found other info that I was looking for. If you are a medical professional and know about body systems, I'd appreciate your help:)

Answer: Colorectal cancer affects the colon and the rectum-the rectum is the lower part of the large bowel (colon is a term for large bowel). Colorectal cancer can stay confined to the bowel and the bowel wall, or it may spread to lymph glands within the abdominal cavity. It can also spread through the bowel wall into the surrounding tissues. Once the tumour cells get into the lymphatic and blood vessels, it can spread around the body. This is called metastasis-the tumour can metastasise to many different sites in the body, the most common being the liver, the lungs and the bones.

Question: what are my chances with colorectal cancer? I am having a colostomy for colorectal cancer.There is some indications my liver may be also cancerous although 2 ct assisted biopses have been performed both coming back negative. what do you think my chances are.

Answer: I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Prognostic factors (life expectancy) are based on the staging of your cancer. This is dependent on how far it has spread, and whether things called lymph nodes are involved. It would be really irresponsible for someone to try and give you an estimate of your chances without knowing all of your clinical history. I'm glad you are being treated now, and i hope that you recover well from any treatment you receive.

Question: In colorectal cancer, how does it metasise to the bones? I understand that the cancer can metastise into the blood then to the liver and lungs due to their continuous blood supply... But why the bones?

Answer: Just as cancer cells are metasticised through you blood from it's primary site to other organs and tissues, so as your bones are living tissues they have to be fed with blood also.

Question: im 15 year old girl i found a lump in my lower left abdomen is it Colorectal cancer? im really scared i read Colorectal cancer happens to ppl of age 50 and im only 15..

Answer: yeah u guessed it right dear!Its cancer :)

Question: How many phases does the progress of colorectal cancer have? I mean from the beginning polys to metastasis. could you talk about more specific?

Answer: It has four stages: 1. Just a tumour. Treatment is usually just surgery. 2. Cancer spread to wall of colon but still confined to colon. Treatment is surgery and sometimes chemo is recommended. 3. Cancer has spread to lymph nodes outside of colon. At this point surgery takes place and chemo is strongly recommended. 4. Cancer has spread to other organs. Treatment becomes more difficult.

Question: Do you know anyone who ever had colorectal cancer?and did it come right back or wait a while? I mean did they have like chemo or radiation and did it still come back or stay away.And does colorectal come back in the same place again?

Answer: I only deal with cancer and must see 50 colon cases a month. Many patients never receive chemo or radiation and the cancer doesn’t come back. This is because their cancer was caught early. When it’s caught in a more advanced stage there is really no way to know if it is really gone. When it returns in these patients it has metastasized an therefore found in another part of the body. It cannot come back to the same area as that part of the colon has been removed.

Question: How long can a person live if he has a colorectal cancer? My grandfather is 84 years old and found he has a colorectal cancer a year ago. He did the surgery right away Now, the doctor found that there are two tumor in his liver 3 months after a exam If he takes the surgery again, will the tumor grow again? How long can he live? If he decides not to take the surgery, how long can he live? By the way, will you suggest him to take the surgery or not (becase he is very old now)

Answer: check out this research group....someone one the message board might be able to help http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta

Question: How to differentiate between colorectal cancer and hemorrhoids?

Answer: 3 Big deference between .hemorrhoids Does not cause pain inside your Colon when you go to the restroom .Anther deference is that with hemorrhoids you will see blood in the stool but with hemorrhoids it will stop after a week or 2.As with colorectal cancer it not stop.Also anther deference between colorectal cancer and hemorrhoids is that with colorectal cancer you will lose wight and with hemorrhoids you will not lose wight.Please keep in mind that no one in here can give you a Diagnosis on if you have Colon cancer or just Hemorrhoids .You need to call a Gastroenterology and fix an appointment for a colonoscopy.colonoscopy might not be the most fun thing to do in life but it will save your life

Question: How to distnguish between bleeding piles and colorectal cancer other than undergoing colonscopy?

Answer: I say that Colonoscopy is probably the best method to find out about those 2.

Question: What are the long term side effects of radiation therapy for colorectal cancer?

Answer: Side effects vary from person to person. The side effects of radiation therapy may include diarrhea or frequent bowel movements, fatigue, appetite loss, and redness of the skin where external x-rays enter the body. Generally, side effects stop gradually once treatment is discontinued, but often bowel function remains altered from what it was before the disease started. Look here for a very very detailed list of potential side effects: http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-R12758.html

Question: What would be a good name for colorectal cancer prevention program?

Answer: Hey Just wanted to suggest a lengthy url of information about this question I will check and let you know

Question: I have a family history of colorectal cancer. When should I start geting tested and how often.? Please, only health professionals or persons with credible sources reply. Thanks!

Answer: My family is also struck by the same affliction and the specialist told my sister and i that once we reached the age of 30 we should get tested once a year..and once we get closer to the age of 40 then we should get tested every six months..I'm now 38 years old and i go every six month for a colonoscopy and as embarassing as it is..it's worth it just for my piece of mind and health..i have allwasy tested clean but the last time i had it done they found polyps and took the lazer to them right away ..so thank god i get tested because that's the way the cancer starts..

Question: How unlikely would it be that a person in their late 20s would have colorectal cancer? I seem to have symptoms I've been having some bothersome symptoms lately. I'm 29 years old. I was just reading about the death of Joel Siegel. He died of colorectal cancer. So as I was reading about it, I found out the symptoms of colorectal cancer & I have actually been having several of these symptoms for some time now. Since the birth of my daughter early this year. Would it be really unlikely that I would have colorectal cancer? Like I said I'm 29 years old. These are the symptoms I'm having: - chronic constipation - a little bit of rectal bleeding (this doesn't happen every day tho) - pain during and after having a bm - unexplainable fatigue & feeling of weakness despite me getting a full 8 hours of sleep & sometimes I even get more Those are the recurring symptoms I've been having. Do you think it could be colorectal cancer? I'm hoping it's just hemorrhoids as I also read from an article on webmd that hemorrhoids can also cause bleeding in the digestive tract & since I had baby not long ago... by the way here's the link to the article about colorectal cancer. It contains a list of many of the symptoms caused by having colorectal cancer that I got off of webmd. http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/symptoms-colorectal-cancer

Answer: I am with everyone else. Please get checked out. I was diagnosed with stage iv colon cancer Jan 2006 at the age of 40. My symptoms were not much different then yours. I complained of chronic constipation since my late teens, had rectal bleeding and fatigue. I had a barium enema in 2001 and it missed my polyp/cancer. A colonoscopy is the best and only procedure I would recommend for screening. Do not let the doctor talk you out of it because of your age. I know many people with cc under the age of 40. CC is very treatable and preventable if caught early. Wendy www.wendysbattle.com

Question: I'd like to know if it is at all possible to get colorectal cancer, years after having an ileostomy done? I was diagnosed with Gardners Syndrome at 17. I am now 25, and was wondering if you can still get rectal cancer after an ileostomy procedure. My father died of rectal cancer after this procedure and I'm experiencing some discomfort in that region is why I'm asking.

Answer: this is a scary situation for you. and i'm so sorry that you are going through it. i am hear to tell you that noone on this website can really answer your question. you need to go to a doctor. preferably one that you have gone to with your Gardners. but if not,just be sure you disclose evrything to the new one. good luck, i'll be thinking about you.

Question: Generally, how early does colorectal cancer cause anemia? And how often does it even cause anemia?

Answer: "Flapore N" and "Jamie" have good answers so far. The important factor to note is that a malignancy has gone through 70% of it's cellular divisions by the time it is 1cm in diameter - less than half an inch - approximately one billion cells. At this size it is not likely to cause significant iron deficiency anemia. 1. Most people with iron deficiency anemia do not have colon cancer as the cause. 2. The time to find colon carcinoma is BEFORE there are any signs or symptoms 3. Screening for asymptomatic colon carcinoma with colonoscopy in the appropriate age or family history population is the best way to catch this disease early. 4. Forget the "Seven Warning Signs" of Cancers. For most of these - it is too late once you have symptoms. Screening for cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon carcinomas are the best ways to find disease early. For lung cancers, screening does not help - BUT smoking cessation could eliminate 85-90% of lung cancers which cause more deaths each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined.