It is important to know that colon cancer is a kind of cancer that originates in the large intestine (colon) or rectum (rectum). Your colon and rectum make up the lower portion of your digestive system.
Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third most prevalent cancer in the United States when common skin cancers are omitted, according to the Centers for Disease Control. American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates with colon cancer testing that 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer at some point in their lives.
Colon cancer’s symptoms, treatment, and prognosis are all affected by the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis.
You can learn more about colon cancer’s various phases and causes, along with information on how to locate services to help you get the support you need.
What Is Colon Cancer Detection?
In the absence of symptoms, screening tests are employed to detect disease. Diagnosis tests are used to determine the cause of symptoms as they occur.)
Precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum are virtually usually the starting point of colorectal cancer. In order to prevent cancer from developing, precancerous polyps can be detected and removed using screening tests. Colorectal cancer can potentially be detected early with screening testing.
Colon cancer’s progression
As a general rule, doctors utilize colon cancer testing to determine how advanced the cancer is. This information is vital to a doctor since it helps them decide on the best course of action for you. To get a sense of your long-term prospects, it’s good to use this method.
There are four different stages of colon cancer: Stage 0, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3. Stages of development are outlined in this way:
At this point, there is nothing to be done. In this stage, abnormal cells are found only in the lining of the colon or rectum, which is also known as carcinoma in situ.
Stage 1. The malignancy has pierced the mucosa (lining) of the colon or rectum and may have progressed into the muscular layer. It hasn’t migrated to adjacent lymph nodes or other sections of the body.
Stage 2. Cancer has progressed to the walls of the colon or rectum, or it has made its way through the walls to tissues that are close, but it has not yet damaged the lymph nodes.
Stage 3. Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes but has not spread to other regions of the body.
Stage 4. In addition to the kidneys, cancer has spread to the liver and lungs.
How Is Colon Cancer Caused?
Inherited or acquired, cancer-causing mutations in one’s genes are possible causes of the disease. Not everyone who has these mutations will develop colon cancer; however, the risk is increased.
This can lead to polyp formation as a result of aberrant cells building up in the colon lining due to certain mutations. These are little, harmless tumors. Untreated polyps, on the other hand, can develop into malignant tumors. Surgically removing these growths can serve as a protective strategy.
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