What Is Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer, sometimes referred to as bowel cancer, is listed by the American Cancer Society as the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and men in the United States. It often begins as a polyp in the inner lining of the colon, and can then spread and grow through the outer layers of the colon, and even into nearby or distant organs. The chances of survival with colon cancer depend on how soon it is caught and treated, which is why it is important to recognize any symptoms and see your physician for regular detection screenings, which will increase the chances of early diagnosis.
Colon Cancer Symptoms
One of the symptoms of colon cancer is a narrowing of the fecal stool, which is caused by a change in the shape and size of the colon and rectum, which can be due to a tumor. The Mayo Clinic also reports that you may see a change from your normal bowel movements. The change can be to diarrhea or constipation. An extreme change may not occur, but you may simply notice a change in the stool's consistency. Other commonly reported symptoms are rectal bleeding, or streaks of blood in the stool, abdominal pain and abdominal cramps that continually return, a lasting feeling of fullness or pressure in the bowel, tiredness and fatigue, and weight loss. Colon cancer symptoms often do not appear until the cancer has progressed and spread beyond the colon, and is affecting other organs, which is why you should be periodically screened for colon cancer, even when no symptoms are present.
Colonoscopy
The most popular and effective method of diagnosing colon cancer is a colonoscopy. If you are experiencing any symptoms, this may be the first test that your doctor recommends. With a colonoscopy, you will consume a special liquid diet for one to three days to clean out the colon. During the procedure, you will be lightly sedated, and you will lay on your side. A flexible scope with a camera attached will be inserted into the rectum, and will travel up through the entire length of the large intestine, or colon. As the scope travels through your colon, it sends pictures back to a monitor that the surgeon is viewing, allowing him to see the walls of the colon and any cancerous polyps or tumors that may have begun to develop. If polyps or tumors are discovered, the surgeon may decide to take a biopsy to send to a lab, where it will be tested to see if it is a cancerous growth or not. According to the National Institutes of Health, the surgeon may also remove samples of tissues in the colon that appear abnormal. While it is a common procedure, performed on those who are experiencing symptoms, the NIH recommends that a routine colonoscopy should be performed on everyone beginning at age 50. If there are no signs of abnormal growths or tissues, you may be able to wait another 10 years before the next colonoscopy. If you have risk factors or a history of colon cancer in the family, your doctor may want you to repeat the test more often.
Other Tests
There are a few other tests that are also used to diagnose colon cancer, although they do not give a full view of the colon like a colonoscopy does. One test is a physical rectal exam, in which the doctor will insert a gloved finger into the rectum to try to detect any colon polyps, or a blockage. The Mayo Clinic reports that another test involves the use of a barium enema and X-ray. Barium, a contrast dye, is injected into the colon and then an X-ray is taken. The addition of the contrast dye allows the doctor to have a better view of the colon on the X-ray. A virtual colonoscopy is another test that involves the use of several different computerized tomography (CT) scans. These scans combine together to make a "virtual" picture of the inner colon, and is often used on patients that, for whatever reason, are not able to go through a standard colonoscopy.
