Welcome to the Colon Cancer Guide
The aim of the colon cancer guide is to give the visitor an overview of colon cancer. Here you will find information about the causes, symptoms and the treatment of the condition. Additionally the guide carries a colon cancer blog that aims to give the latest information on research into the condition and stories about how people cope with the condition.
What are colorectal cancers?
Colorectal cancers are the third most common type of cancer, it affects both men and women, and in the United States alone more then 110,000 new cases are expected every year.
Cancers that affect the colon and rectum are known as colorectal cancers. Typically these cancers develop very slowly over many years. Usually before a cancer develops in either the colon or the rectum a polyp will first develop; many of these growths, such as hyperplastic polyps and inflammatory polyps are non-cancerous. The types of polyp known as adenomatous or adenomas are the ones that normally become cancerous.
More than 95% of the colorectal cancers are of the adenocarcinomas class. The remaining classes mainly consist of lymphomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumours and carcinoid tumours. Other types of colorectal cancers also exist.
Colorectal cancers are the third most common type of cancer, it affects both men and women, and in the United States alone more then 110,000 new cases are expected every year.
Surviving colon cancer
The death rate from colon cancer has been falling year after year; this is mainly as a result of improved colorectal screening techniques, which are able to recognise polps at an early stage. It is estimated that 90 percent of people who are diagnosed with the condition at an early stage will survive for at least five years. However due to the nature of the disease the death rate increases dramatically when colon cancer is first found at a later stage.
It is hoped that the colon cancer guide will provide you with lots of useful information, but it is paramount that you visit your doctor on a regular basis for preventative screening and that if you are diagnosed with the condition you listen to the doctor’s advice. Don't be afraid to ask them any questions so that they clear up anything that you do not understand.