Colorectal cancer is the term that combines the cancer of the colon and the rectum. Colon is the large intestine that is found in the lower part of the digestive system. Rectum is the posterior region that exists for last 5-7 inches of the colon. Colon cancer begins as small clumps or polyps that are harmless. Over time, these polyps get converted into cancerous tumors. Regular screening of the colon is necessary to prevent colorectal cancer.
Symptoms :
Colorectal cancer does not produce any signs or symptoms in the early stages. Some of the symptoms that are found in patients with this type of cancer are given below:-
- Sudden changes in bowel movements and its consistency.
- It can cause constipation problem or diarrhea. There will be abdominal discomfort and feeling of not emptying the bowel fully in these patients.
- Bloated sensation or fullness
- Bloody discharge in your stool will be there. Sometimes you will pass long and thin pencil like stools.
- Sudden weight loss without any apparent reason
- Loss of appetite and extreme tiredness
- Unbearable pelvic pain in the last stage of cancer
Any person with one or more symptoms mentioned above should see his doctor without any delay.
Causes :
Exact cause of colorectal cancer is unclear. Doctors believe that cancer develops in the colon when the healthy cells of the colon are attacked and altered. The way in which healthy cells grow gets changed or becomes uncontrolled. This leads to the formation of more volumes of healthy cells than required. Excess of growth of cells can cause cancerous tumors in the intestine. In due course, these abnormal cells will become cancerous.
- Polyps :
Clumps or polyps begin to appear on the colon more particularly in the lining of the intestine. Polyps are cluster of tissue bags having the shape of mushroom. Once your doctor finds growth of polyps inside the colon it has to be removed.
- Gene Mutations :
Colorectal cancer can be caused due to hereditary factor. It is passed to the offspring from the parents. Gene mutations occur during the formation of zygote in which defective genes are sent to the fetus which increases the risk of cancer. Family adenomatous polyposis shortly called FAP is a rare disease in which the affected person develops hundreds of polyps in the colon. Lynch syndrome also makes one prone to colon and rectal cancer.