Colon Cancer Treatment in Mumbai

You can Jump On :

1. What is colon cancer
2. Symptoms
3. Causes
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatments
6. Risk Factors
7. FAQs of patients

The large intestine forms the second part of this tube. It comprises the colon (4 feet to 6 feet) and the rectum (4 inches to 6 inches long).

Polyps less than 1 cm in size have less than a 1% chance of becoming cancer, but those that are 2 cm or more have almost a 40% chance of transforming into cancer.

Overall, if you have a polyp in the colon, the risk of cancer is about 5%.

Symptoms of colon cancer can include:

• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Cramping in your tummy
• Change in stool frequency and/or Consistency
• Rectal bleeding
• Blood in stool
• Black stools
• Bloating
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Pelvic pain
• Anaemia (reduced number of red blood cells) due to bleeding in your intestines

You might also want to read, Is Colon Cancer Curable if Caught Early?

Polyps :

These are the growths that can develop on the inner wall of the colon or rectum. One type of polyp, known as adenoma, makes colon cancer more likely.

Other Diseases

Colon cancer is associated with certain diseases like colon polyps or inflammatory diseases of the colon such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, and cancers of the pancreas, breast, ovaries, or uterus.

Heredity :

A family history of colon cancer is a considerable risk factor for colon cancer development. Hereditary medical conditions include familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), HNPCC ( Lynch Syndrome), MYH-associated polyposis (MAP), Gardner’s syndrome, Turcot’s syndrome, Peutz-Jagher’s syndrome, juvenile polyposis, and Cowden’s disease are associated with increased risk of colon cancers.

Chemical Exposure :

Exposure to certain chemicals, like chlorine in drinking water, can increase the risk of colon cancer. Lifestyle. Alcohol intake of more than 2 drinks per day and smoking increases the risk of developing colon cancer.

You might need to know : Stage 1 colon cancer symptoms

1. Stool-based tests :

• Guaiac fecal occult blood test
• Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)

2. Direct visualization tests :

• Colonoscopy
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy)

3. Imaging tests :

• CT scan
• PET scan

4. For rectal cancer :

• MRI of pelvis

If you observe any unexplained gastric symptoms lasting for several days, report them to your doctor for further screening.

Related Read : The Difference Between Colon Cancer And Rectal Cancer?

Surgery :

Surgery is the mainstay of curative treatment for localized colon tumours. The surgery aims to remove the affected segment of the large intestine with an adequate margin of normal bowel on either side along with the draining lymph nodes of the region.

For a colonic tumour situated in the right half of the colon (ascending colon, caecum, and hepatic flexure) a right hemicolectomy is needed. Similarly for a left-sided tumour left hemicolectomy or extended right colectomy is needed.

The stoma is the procedure where a segment of the bowel is brought to the skin of the tummy, where is it opened and fixed to the skin. After this procedure, the stool is coming out of this opening and gets collected in the bag attached to it.

This stoma can be performed on the small intestine (ileostomy) or large intestine ( colostomy). It can be either a temporary stoma or a permanent stoma. Your doctor may perform the surgery laparoscopically or using a robot (minimally invasive) or by the open method (involves larger cuts).

If you require Surgery, consult colon cancer specialist in mumbai Dr.Praveen Kammar.

Radiation therapy :

For locally advanced rectal cancer, radiation therapy forms an important part of treatment. It is usually given before surgery, along with chemotherapy.

Depending on the tumour characteristics a long course ( 5 weeks) or short course (5 days) of radiation is decided. Radiation therapy is not commonly used for colon cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy :

Chemotherapeutic agents commonly used in colon cancer are 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine (Xeloda), irinotecan (Camptosar), and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin).

Chemotherapy is used after successful surgery to prevent recurrence and prolong survival, in selected patients. It is also used in metastatic stage 4 cancers to control the spread of cancer.

Age :

The disease is more prevalent in older people more than 50 years of age. However, the chance of getting colon cancer goes up past the age of 40.

Gender :

Both men and women are equally at risk of developing colon cancer, but men are more prone to rectal cancer.

Health History :

If you have had any type of cancer before, you could get it again. The same is true for colon cancers. People with long-term conditions such as colon inflammation, or Crohn’s disease, are more likely to get colon cancer.

Diet :

A diet that includes more red meat, fat l, and very little fibre or fresh vegetables is strongly linked to colon cancer.

Lifestyle :

If you are overweight or have excessive smoking or drinking habit, you may have a higher chance of colon cancer. Type 2 Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.