Colon Cancer affects both men and women, and is the third most common type of cancer in the United States.  The American Cancer Society estimates 112,340 new colon and rectum cancer cases for 2007.  Fortunately, if the cancerous polyps are detected early during a colonscopy or a fecal blood test, prognosis for colon cancer patients is promising. 

90% of the people diagnosed with colon cancer are over the age of 50.  Screening at this age is recommended if you are at an average risk for colon cancer, and at an earlier age if there is a family history of colon or rectal cancer, a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, chronic ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.  These high-risk cases account for 10%-15% of all colorectal cancers. 

Colorectal cancer refers to cancer of the colon and rectum.  The colon and rectum are both part of the large intestine, which is part of the digestive system, otherwise known as the GI system, or gastrointestinal.  The colon is actually a muscular tube about five feet long, long enough for food waste to travel through to the rectum, and is divided into four sections.  Colon cancer and rectum cancer starts at the innermost layers of these sections.  The stage of cancer is determined by how many layers the cancer has attacked.  95% of colon and rectal cancers are adenocarcinomas, lining the inside layer wall of the colon and rectum.  Colorectal cancers typically grow slowly over a period of years, but once colon cancer spreads to the distant parts of the body, the standard survival rate drops to 9% - proving early detection is crucial for survival.

Before cancer develops, warning signs are often given in polyps lining the colon or rectum.  These polyps can be cancerous or non-cancerous, yet turn into cancerous polyps later.  Symptoms of colon cancer might include change in bowel habits or bowel size, blood in the stool, frequent gas pains, bloating, cramps, weight loss for no known reason, fatigue, or vomiting.  If cancer is suspected and verified, treatment will depend on the stage of the growth. 

Typically, treatment consists of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.  The FDA has recently approved new drugs for treatment, including Avastin and Erbitux.  Erbitux helps shrink tumors and delay tumor growth and Avastin prolongs life for an average of 5 months longer when used with chemotherapy.  Dr. Darren Browning received funding for researching Protein Kinase G (PKG), a property which slows the aggressive attack colon cancer cells have on blood vessels. 

The differences between early stage colon cancer and late stage colon cancer are differences between life and death.  Exams such as a colonscopy, a fecal occult blood test, a digital rectal exam, a barium enema, sigmoidoscopy or biopsy, will determine whether or not there is a 90% survival rate or a 9% survival rate.  For anyone over 50, one yearly exam for the rest of your life will be more comfortable than living with chemotherapy on a daily basis.  Save a life.  Make a visit.