Colon
The colon or the large intestine is the lower part of the digestive system located in the abdomen. It extends over several areas of the abdomen. It is divided into several sections based on the way it travels. It starts from the right side of the abdomen. And ascends from the lower part of the right side of the abdomen to the upper part of the same side of the abdomen below the liver and is called “ascending colon.”
The colon then extends from the right side to the left of the upper abdomen and reaches the bottom of the spleen. It is called the “transverse colon.” It then descends from the upper part of the left side of the abdomen to the lower part of the same side of the abdomen. The left side wraps in the form of an English “S” to enter the pelvis. This is called the “sinus colon” and then the “rectum”, the last part of the colon that lies behind the urinary bladder and extends up to the anus.
The second function is the conversion of certain nutrients and vitamins to be absorbed by bacteria, where the colon is considered to be the colon, Is the medium in which beneficial bacteria are used to manufacture the vitamin.
Colon Cancer
The colon, like the rest of the human body and its structures, is infected with a variety of inflammatory, mechanical and ulcerative diseases such as blockage and bypass, as well as certain immune diseases, allergies, and many other diseases and the psychological state of the person; it can be irritated by what is known as the nervous colon, To be infected with tumors, whether benign ones, or malignant, which is called colon cancer.
Most cases of colorectal cancer are benign, and are a collection of cells in the form of appendages of a small, non-carcinogenic diet called adenomatous polyps. Over time, some of these polyps become malignant tumors. Be without symptoms. Colorectal cancer is a common colorectal disease and may be fatal if not diagnosed early. The incidence is 9.2% higher than that of other cancers in women, the second most common cancer ranking.
In men, colon cancer accounts for 10% of men’s cancers. Doctors recommend regular checkups to help prevent colorectal cancer by early detection of polyps before they become carcinogenic.
Symptoms of colon cancer may include a change in normal bowel activity, fecal blood, gas bloating, abdominal pain, or persistent intestinal cramps.
Symptoms of colon cancer
Usually in the early stages of colon cancer is small does not cause any symptoms, and with the passage of time and growth of different symptoms appear by the location of cancer in the colon, and the most famous symptoms:
- Hemorrhage from the tumor, where the patient notes the exit of blood mixed with the stool in a little in the form of blood clot, and can be dark color so that the color of the stool tends to dark brown or black.
- Frequent bleeding can lead to anemia and lead to skin pigmentation.
- Fecal discharge is accompanied by mucus.
- A difference in the nature of the bowel movement is in the form of frequent constipation and diarrhea, unusually patient.
- Do not feel full of defecation; feel that your bowel is not completely emptied.
- Abdominal pain.
Advanced symptoms of colon cancer
As the cancer grows inside the colon, symptoms will worsen and other symptoms such as:
- Feeling general weakness, weakness, and weight loss.
- May result in complete closure of the colon, and therefore the swelling of the abdomen and the return of the contents of the colon to the intestines and the stomach and vomiting and continuous, and the inability of the patient to defecate or even remove the wind, in many cases requires immediate surgical intervention in these cases.
- Sometimes the cancer can cause a hole in the wall of the colon leading to leakage of the stool into the abdomen causing very severe pain.
Causes of colon cancer
The reasons that can affect or increase the risk of colorectal cancer are:
- Genetic dysfunction has an effect on the colon: Genetic syndromes transmitted in the family from generation to generation can increase the risk of colon cancer. It is also responsible for 5% of colon cancer cases. One of these syndromes is called adenocarcinoma, which is rare and causes thousands of progesteronees to be produced within the rectum and on the intestinal walls.
- Medical History: If the patient has colon cancer or benign glandular tumors before, he is more likely to have colon or rectal cancer.
- Drink: Excessive use of alcohol is an important factor in increasing the risk of colon cancer.
- Age: The vast majority of people with colon cancer are 50 years old. Young people can also develop colorectal cancer, but their incidence is very low in these cases.
- Inflammatory bowel diseases: Such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, where their presence increases the risk of colon cancer.
- Diet: Dietary diets rich in fat, calories, or low-fiber foods may be a cause of colon or rectal cancer.
- Physical activity: Physical activity plays an important role in maintaining the body’s organs. It also helps maintain muscle activity and bone health. It helps the body to get rid of harmful substances and stimulates it to resist diseases such as cancer or internal infections. It also protects the body from obesity, which is another cause of colon cancer.
- Growth hormone disorders: This is due to imbalance in the function of the gland, which adversely affects the growth of the body organs properly, and thus increase the risk of various diseases, including colon cancer.
- Diabetes : People with diabetes are the most likely to develop colon cancer.
- Smoking: People who smoke in large amounts are more likely to develop colorectal cancer because the nicotine pool in the body turns over days to cancers, including colon cancer.
Colon types
There are many types of colonic benefits, including:
- Hyperplasia This type of drug is very rare and is not a suitable place for the formation and development of colon cancer.
- Inflammatory Stem Cells: These can be caused by ulcerative colitis, and can become cancerous tumors; therefore, a person with ulcerative bowel inflammation is more likely to develop colon cancer.
- Glandular tumor: It is the most likely type of cancerous tumor, usually removed and removed during screening tests, such as X-ray examination or colonoscopy.
Diagnosis of colon cancer
Routine screening for colorectal cancer is recommended, starting at the age of 50, for all people at risk. There are a lot of screening tests to detect colon cancer, including:
- DNA examination in stool: Although the patient does not know how much time he should wait between the examination and the next.
- Barium injection test: This is done once every five years. In this test, the doctor tests the colon with X-ray and barium, a reflector pigment that is injected into the colon by an enema.
- Annual Examination: To detect any hidden blood in the stool. This test examines a sample of stool, including the analysis of several nucleic acids, derived from the cells produced by precancerous precursors in the stool.
- X-ray examination: This is done once every five years, which is an examination of the internal areas of the colon. In this test, the doctor uses a flexible light tube to see the inside of the colon to observe a distance of up to 60 centimeters inside the colon.
- Default Colonoscopy: Once every five years, a CT scan that produces images of the colon, instead of using equipment entering the intestine through the anus. This examination is not available at all medical centers.
Colon Cancer Treatment
There are three main types of treatments used to treat colorectal cancer: surgical treatment, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
The surgical procedures used in the treatment are divided into:
- Surgical procedures: The surgeon removes part of the cancerous colon with additional edges of healthy colon tissue, which surrounds it from all sides, to make sure that the tumor is removed completely. In addition to the removal of lymph nodes adjacent to the large intestine; for the purpose of examination and examination, to ensure that they are completely free of cancer cells.
- Surgery to prevent colon cancer: In rare cases, such as hereditary factors, tumor glandular syndrome, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis, a cancer oncologist is advised to perform a total colon resection to protect against future cancerous cells.
- Surgery for early stages of colon cancer: If the tumor is located inside the sperm in the initial stages, then the surgeon can remove the entire tumor through the examination of colonoscopy. If tests show that the tumor is not present at the site where the molecule is attached to the wall of the colon, it is likely that the doctors will completely remove the colon.
- Surgery for advanced stages of colon cancer: If the cancer has reached its advanced stages, or if the patient’s health is very poor, the best solution is to perform surgery to open the blockage in the colon, which may reduce the symptoms causing the pain.
Prevention of colon cancer
For the prevention of cancer in general, and colon cancer in particular, the person must change the wrong lifestyle, so as to reduce the risk of infection, and these types:
- Quitting smoking completely, and the patient can consult with the doctor on ways to reduce and then quit smoking.
- Exercising at least once a week or twice a week; it is advisable to exercise for at least 30 minutes at a time. The patient can start with simple exercise until he gets used to it and then gradually increase the exercise time to 45 minutes.
- Minimize alcohol consumption, and stop taking narcotic doses.
- Maintain a healthy weight; the patient can maintain a healthy weight by adopting a healthy diet and regular, with the exercise of daily sports activities.