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What is Colon Cancer?
It's pretty shitty. Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, is the development of cancer in the colon or rectum. This cancer can occur in any part of your lower digestive tract—the large intestine.
Cancer that occurs in the upper portion of the large intestine is called colon cancer, and the lower portion of the intestine, the rectum, is called colorectal cancer. Cancer is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. In the colon, these growths start as noncancerous polyps. Over time, these polyps can become colon cancer. It usually takes up to 10 years or more for this change to occur, but it's happening more and more with young people.
Modifiable
Common modifiable risk factors include:
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smoking
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diet
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exercise
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diabetes
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obesity
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alcohol consumption.
Common Factors
The following risk factors are most commonly associated with colorectal cancer diagnosis:
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Older than 50 years of age
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African American race
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Previous colorectal cancer diagnosis
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Inflammatory intestinal conditions, such as Crohn’s Disease and/or ulcerative colitis
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Genetic predisposition to colon cancer
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Diets low in fiber and high in fat
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Physical Inactivity
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Diabetes
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Obesity
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Smoking
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Alcohol
Statistics
The American Cancer Society estimated that, in 2017, there was an estimated 95,520 new cases of colon cancer and 39,910 cases of rectal cancer diagnosed in the US.
The Healthy People 2020 Initiative has set a goal to reduce colorectal cancer deaths by 10 percent. Although that still represents 161.4 deaths per 100,000 population, it is an improvement over the 2007 baseline when there were 179.3 cancer deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted to the year 2000 standard population).
Risk Factors
There are two types of risk factors:
Modifiable and Non-Modifiable.
Modifiable risk factors are changeable characteristics. These are behaviors or traits that you can change.
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Non-modifiable risk factors are characteristics you have no control over.
Non-Modifiable
Common non-modifiable risk factors include:
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sex
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age
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race
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personal or family history.
Warning Signs
The following are signs and symptoms associated with colorectal cancer. Please note that at early stages of the disease most people do not exhibit any signs or symptoms. For this reason, screening is extremely important.
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Weakness/Fatigue
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Unexplained weight loss
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Bleeding from your rectum or blood in your stool
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Nagging abdominal discomfort
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Changes in your bowel habits, including constipation and/or diarrhea
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Dark colored or black stool
