Colon Cancer

You may have noticed some changes in your bowel movement, or have noticed blood in your stool and have unexplained weight loss. These are some of the symptoms of colon cancer. For more info, please contact Doral Health and Wellness – Urology Center.

We have the best urologist in East New York at Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center. You can contact us by visiting our clinic or visiting our website at https://doralhw.org/department/urology/ or https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com.

Colon cancer is a cancer that develops when you have a tumor growth in your large intestines. This condition usually begins as small and benign polyps that forms on the sides of the colon and walls of the large intestines, that becomes colon cancer over time.

SYMPTOMS

Colon cancer usually doesn’t exhibit symptoms during the early stages of the disease. Your symptoms may become more noticeable once the disease starts to progress. Symptoms you may experience during the early stages can include:

• A feeling of bowel not completely emptied after a bowel movement
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Anemia
• Abdominal pain and cramping

As your illness progresses, you may experience one or more of these signs and symptoms, which can include:

• Bleeding from your rectum
• Blood in your stool, which can make your stool appear dark brown or black in color
• Prominent change in your stool consistency
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain, cramping and gas
• Bloating
• Weakness and fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Iron-deficiency anemia
• Irritable bowel syndrome

CAUSES

All cancers have the same causes. They start to develop because the cells grow uncontrollably and do not die at the normal point in their cycle. According to researchers, they are still unsure of the exact cause of colon cancer. But certain factors can contribute to the increase of risk of these illness.

Certain DNA changes may lead to the progress of colon cancer. Polyps found on the colon can also be the culprit, although most are noncancerous, they have an increased risk of developing into colon cancer. These polyps usually form on the inner wall of your large intestines. These cancerous cells spread to other parts of the body, through the blood and lymph system of your body.

RISK FACTORS

These factors can be one of the reasons why you developed colon cancer.

• History of colon polyps – if you had a history of polyps, your risk of developing colon cancer in the future increases.
• Inflammatory intestinal conditions – if you have chronic inflammatory diseases in the colon, such as Crohn’s disease, you have an increased risk of developing colon cancer.
• Family history of colon cancer – if you have a family member that had colon cancer, you are more likely to develop the same illness too.
• Inherited syndromes that can increase the risk of colon cancer – there are some gene mutations that are passed through generations to generations that increases the risk of colon cancer.
• Other factors – diabetes, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use are some of the other factors that have a high risk of developing colon cancer.

TREATMENT

Treatments available for colon cancer will depend on the type and stage of your colon cancer. Your age and over-all health condition will also be considered on deciding which treatment option is best for you.

Treatment for colon cancer can include:

• Surgery – if your cancer is on its early stages, the best and main treatment option is surgery. This procedure aims to remove part or all of the colon that contains cancer, as well as some of its surrounding area.
• Chemotherapy – this treatment is recommended to treat your colon cancer:
  • to shrink your tumor and make it easier to remove during surgery
  • after surgery, to kill the remaining cancer cells that was not removed during surgery
  • if the cancer has spread to the other organs of your body
• Radiation therapy – this procedure is one of your options to treat your colon cancer. This procedure uses high gamma rays on your cancer cells.

There is no guaranteed way for you to prevent developing colon cancer. But you can set some preventive measures to reduce your risk of colon cancer. Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the best preventive measures for any cancer. Also, make sure that you do not miss any regular checkup or if you notice unusual symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

If you or your loved one has symptoms for colon cancer, have them/yourself checked. You can schedule an appointment with Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center’s best urologist in Brooklyn. Our specialists will work with you in managing your condition. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com/.