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Colon Cancer: THESE are the symptoms, causes and risk factors of this chronic disease
Colon cancer occurs in the large intestine and older adults are at a greater risk of having it. It is caused when healthy cells develop changes in their DNA and start to divide unnecessarily. So, these are the symptoms, causes and risk factors of this chronic disease.
Colon cancer occurs in the large intestine or colon which is the final part of the digestive tract. Generally, older adults are at a greater risk of having it, but it may occur at any age. Initially, noncancerous and small clumps of cells called polyps appear in the inner side of the colon. Some of them might result in colon cancer.
Sometimes, colon cancer is also referred to colorectal cancer when it combines colon and rectal cancer, which occurs in the rectum. There are different treatments available to cure colon cancer like surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy etc. But first, we should be aware of its symptoms and causes so that we can spot it earlier and go for the treatment.
Symptoms and causes of colon cancer:
Symptoms of colon cancer
A persistent change in your bowel habit. It can be diarrhoea or constipation.
Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding.
Constant abdominal discomfort with cramps, gas, pain.
Weakness or fatigue.
Unexplained weight loss.
When to consult your doctor
If you see any of these symptoms persistently then consult your doctor right away. Talk to your doctor to start colon cancer screening.
Causes of colon cancer
There are no certain causes of colon cancer. It begins when the healthy cells in colon develop some changes in their DNA. When cells become cancerous, they continue to divide even if new cells are not needed. And as the cells start to grow, they form a tumour. These cancer cells can destroy normal tissues near to them and can travel to other parts of the body.
Risk factors of colon cancer:
These people are more prone to have colon cancer:
People who are older than 50.
African-American race.
Person having a history of colorectal cancer or polyps.
People having chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are at a greater risk of having colon cancer.
Family history of colon cancer.
Having low-fibre and a high-fat diet.
