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Learning and educating yourself about colon cancer can save your life or the life of a loved one. Often people forget that cancer can happen to anyone, especially cancer of the colon. One of the myths that people often believe is that colon cancer is more prevalent in white people. However, this is far from the truth. More and more men and women of different races are being diagnosed with cancer of the colon. Information on the symptoms, detection tests and treatments are highlighted in this article.
Symptoms
Colon cancer generally has two different types of symptom groups that can occur. There are local colon symptoms and systemic colon symptoms. When faced with the local colon symptoms group, you need to be wary of a change of bowel movements, constipation and diarrhea. Pay attention to your stool when you go to the bathroom and look out for red spots in your stool which can mean there is blood in your stool. Also, a very early sign is that your stool is thinner than normal. If this continues for longer than two weeks, it's imperative that you consult your GP as soon as possible.
The systemic colon cancer symptoms affect your entire body, instead of just your colon area. You can feel extreme weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, anemia and even nausea. If these symptoms present themselves to you for a large amount of time, it is suggested that you consult your doctor. Learn to know your body and how it reacts to certain things so that you can sooner work out if something is wrong with you.
Detection Tests
The most common and prevalent detection test for colon cancer at the moment is a colonoscopy. Due to the very invasive nature of the test, however, many people often don't go for regular check-ups. The test can ensure an early and effective treatment of detecting the cancer. The second most common test for cancer is the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). The stool of the person will be tested to see if there is any blood in the sample. Blood in a stool sample, generally suggests that there is cancer of the rectum but it is by no means an effective means of diagnosing cancer. Very recently, the Mayo Clinic offered a solution to the FOBT. The test will look for abnormal DNA that will indicate if there are cancerous cells instead of looking for blood in the stool sample. With the introduction of this test, detecting colon cancer can become much easier for the average person.
Treatment
Treating cancer of the colon can be done in a variety of ways, depending on the severity of your cancer. Your treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies and monoclonal antibody therapy. Each option can and should be used depending on the stage of cancer you have. Make sure to go through all the options with your doctor, to ensure the safest possible treatment for you. In any event, the best way to prevent colon cancer is by undertaking a colon cleanse and making sure you maintain a correct diet.
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