Colon cancer: Symptoms, stages, causes, and treatment
Colon cancer is not an uncommon name among people worldwide in recent times. Colon cancer develops in the large intestine. Normally elders are affected via colon cancer, but it can develop at any age. Cancer starts growing with small clumps inside the colon, and these clumps are known as polyps.
Symptoms of colon cancer
Individuals are hardly aware of the signs and symptoms of colon cancer.
- Individuals will suffer from constipation or diarrhea regularly.
- You will notice consistent changes in the stool.
- One can face blood in the stool or bleeding from the rectum.
- Abdominal pain, gas, bloating, or cramp in the stomach are some common signs of any person suffering from colon cancer.
Apart from those mentioned above, unexplained weight loss, weakness, or fatigue are some common symptoms.
Causes
The causes of colon cancer are still not clear. Conon cancer grows within the healthy cells of the colon. The healthy cells develop to maintain the immune system in the body. But once the DNA of the healthy cells gets damaged, these cells become cancerous. These cells accumulate and develop into a tumor.
Stages of colon cancer
The stages of cancer determine how far the disease has developed in the human body. The stages of cancer depend on the size of tumors and their growth in the body. The stages of colon cancer are mentioned below.
- Stage 0 is the primary stage of cancer. If any patient gets detected with colon cancer at this stage, they can get healed easily.
- Cancer reaches the next stage at stage 1, and at stage 2, it can reach the outer layers.
- At stage 3, cancer reaches three lymph nodes.
- At stage 4, cancer develops in other tissues outside the colon’s wall.
Required treatment
The treatment of colon cancer depends on the type and stage of this cancer. The possible treatment options are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, etc.Dr. Ashish Pokharkar from Pimpri Chinchwad will always guide you with the best treatment options.