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- $Unique_ID{BRK03554}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Cancer, Colon}
- $Subject{Cancer Colon Cancer of the Large Intestine Cancer of the Colon
- Colonic Cancer Colorectal Cancer Carcinoma of the Colon Adenocarcinoma of the
- Colon Diverticulitis Ulcerative Colitis Benign Lesions or Tumors of the Colon}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (C) 1990 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
-
- 808:
- Cancer, Colon
-
- ** IMPORTANT **
- It is possible that the main title of the article (Colon Cancer) is not
- the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYM listing to find the
- alternate names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.
-
- Synonyms
-
- Cancer of the Large Intestine
- Cancer of the Colon
- Colonic Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Carcinoma of the Colon
- Adenocarcinoma of the Colon
-
- Information on the following disorders can be found in the Related
- Disorders section of this report:
-
- Diverticulitis
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Benign Lesions or Tumors of the Colon
-
- General Discussion
-
- ** REMINDER **
- The information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
- educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
- purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
- contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
- section of this report.
-
- Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers found in the United
- States. The cause is unknown. It may be related to a high-fat low-fiber
- diet. In some people, the tendency to develop colon cancer may be inherited.
- Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cell development occurs, causing
- destruction of healthy cells. Symptoms of colon cancer may include changes
- in the shape or color of stools, blood in the stools, constipation and/or
- diarrhea, abdominal discomfort and sometimes nausea. Surgery is generally
- performed to correct this type of cancer, usually along with radiation and/or
- chemotherapy.
-
- Symptoms
-
- The colon is part of the large intestines. Symptoms of colon cancer may
- include changes in the shape of stools such as a thin or flattened
- appearance. Blood may be present in the stool although it may not be visible
- to the patient. Hard, nodular masses with irregular borders develop into a
- malignant tumor (such as an adenocarcinoma) which, in some patients, may be
- detected during a rectal exam.
-
- When cancer forms in the right side of the colon, the tumor may become
- large and ulcerate, causing blood loss which may lead to anemia. The stool
- may have a reddish-maroon color. Some patients may have pain and trapped gas
- in the lower right area of the abdomen. Gently pressing or massaging the
- area may relieve the gas. Small bowel obstruction may also occur.
-
- When cancer forms in the left side of the colon, obstruction within the
- intestine causes constipation and cramping pain in the abdomen. Bleeding can
- also occur and may be visible in the stool.
-
- In advanced stages of the disease, loss of appetite and weight loss tend
- to occur. There is pain in the abdomen from the obstruction in the
- intestine. If the disease spreads, cancer may travel (metastasize) to the
- lymph glands, other areas of the abdomen, or liver via the lymphatic system
- or bloodstream. In some patients, the cancer may travel to the lung or bone.
-
- Potential colon cancer can be discovered by a rectal exam, or examination
- of the abdomen. Other screening methods are the sigmoidoscope or colonoscope
- (lighted instruments which allow the physician to see inside the patient's
- large intestine) and laboratory examination of the patient's stool for occult
- (hidden) blood.
-
- Diagnosis is made by radiography (barium enema x-ray and other imaging
- techniques) and endoscopy (a sigmoidoscope or colonoscope). When a
- colonoscope is too large to fit into narrow obstructed passage, a cytology
- brush can be used to obtain cells to test for cancer. Biopsy is made to
- confirm malignancy.
-
- Causes
-
- Like most forms of cancer, the exact cause of colon cancer is not known. It
- may be related to a high-fat low-fiber diet, although this has not been
- scientifically proven. In some people, the tendency to develop colon cancer
- may be inherited. People who have inflammatory bowel disease such as
- ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or patients with benign (noncancerous)
- intestinal tumors (adenomas, polyps) may have a higher risk of developing
- colon cancer as well. Surgical removal of adenomas and polyps aids in the
- prevention of colon cancer. Other people at risk of developing colon cancer
- are those who have hereditary polyposis syndromes (multiple polyps covering
- the colon and rectum) such as familial polyposis, Gardner's syndrome, other
- colon syndromes such as Turcot, Oldfield's, or Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. (For
- more information on these disorders, choose "polyposis", "Gardner", "and
- "Peutz" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database).
-
- Affected Population
-
- Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It affects men and
- women equally, usually occurring after the age of 40. It is often diagnosed
- in patients around the age of 65. People with colon cancer in their family
- are at higher than normal risk of developing this disorder.
-
- Related Disorders
-
- Diverticulitis is a common disease of the bowel. It may mimic colon cancer
- by causing an obstruction, especially in the sigmoid colon (area of the colon
- near the rectum), by an inflammatory mass. Ulcerative colitis and benign
- (noncancerous) lesions or tumors of the colon may also be confused with
- colon cancer.
-
- Therapies: Standard
-
- Treatment of colon cancer varies from patient to patient. It is important to
- determine how far the disease has spread since this determines the
- appropriate treatment program. First, physicians determine what "stage" the
- disease is in. The stage depends on the number and location of malignant
- sites, and if it has traveled to other parts of the body.
-
- Surgery is generally performed to treat colon cancer, usually along with
- radiation therapy (radiotherapy). A colectomy is surgery to remove part or
- all of the large intestine. If necessary, a colostomy (or ileostomy) is
- done. A colostomy is surgery to create an artificial anus. Sometimes a
- temporary colostomy quickens the recovery of a patient who had only a section
- of the large intestine removed. Radiation therapy destroys cancer cells,
- shrinks enlarged lymph nodes, and aids in prevention of further cancer.
-
- For some patients, chemotherapy may be used. Chemotherapy involves the
- use of "anticancer" drugs. All these drugs may produce adverse side effects
- and must be carefully monitored by a doctor. The drug 5-flourouracil is
- often used to treat colon cancer patients alone or in combination with other
- drugs.
-
- Other treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
-
- Therapies: Investigational
-
- The National Cancer Institute conducts clinical trials on new drugs being
- tested for colon cancer and other forms of cancer. To learn about locations
- of these investigations, contact the Cancer Information Service listed in the
- Resources section of this report.
-
-
- This disease entry is based upon medical information available through
- August 1990. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep
- every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate.
- Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most
- current information about this disorder.
-
- Resources
- For more information on Colon Cancer, please contact:
-
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
- P.O. Box 8923
- New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783
- (203) 746-6518
-
- American Cancer Society
- 1599 Clifton Rd., NE
- Atlanta, GA 30329
- (404) 320-3333
-
- NIH/National Cancer Institute
- 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 31, Rm. 1A2A
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- 1-800-4-CANCER
-
- The National Cancer Institute has developed PDQ (Physician Data Query), a
- computerized database designed to give the public, cancer patients and
- families, and health professionals quick and easy access to many types of
- information vital to patients with this and many other types of cancer. To
- gain access to this service, call:
- Cancer Information Service (CIS)
- 1-800-4-CANCER
- In Washington, DC and suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, 636-5700
- In Alaska, 1-800-638-6070
- In Oahu, Hawaii, (808) 524-1234 (Neighbor islands call collect)
-
- References
-
- INTERNAL MEDICINE, 2nd Ed.: Jay H. Stein, ed.-in-chief; Little, Brown and
- Co., 1987. Pp. 160-164.
-
- WORLD BOOK MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA: Erich E. Brueschke, M.D., et al., eds;
- World Book, Inc., 1988. Pp. 147-148.
-
-