Colon cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum (the part of the large intestine that connects to the anus) grow out of control. It can also develop in the stomach, small intestine, and other parts of the digestive tract.
This type of cancer occurs most often in people age 50 and older, but it can affect anyone. Symptoms can include rectal bleeding, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain. They may not be easy to notice in the early stages, but they can become severe if they spread to other parts of the body.
Symptoms depend on the location of the cancer and whether it has spread to other areas of the bowel, liver or lymph nodes. Your symptoms and the stage of your cancer help your doctor determine the best treatment for you.
Screening for colorectal cancer is important and helps prevent this type of cancer. Routine screening helps doctors find and remove precancerous polyps before they turn into cancer.
A test called a colonoscopy lets your doctor look inside the rectum and colon to see if there are any signs of cancer or polyps. This test is the gold standard for detecting precancerous polyps and preventing colon cancer.
Other tests that your doctor may do to screen for cancer include a sigmoidoscopy and a stool sample test. A sigmoidoscopy is done by putting a flexible, lighted tube into the rectum and lower colon to check for polyps or cancer.
If polyps or cancer are found by a sigmoidoscopy, your doctor can remove them with the colonoscope. If the doctor cannot remove polyps or cancer with a sigmoidoscopy, you will need a colonoscopy to view the entire colon.
Most people with colorectal cancer do not have any symptoms in the early stages of the disease, but they can develop more serious problems as the cancer grows and spreads. Depending on the stage of the cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
There are many different types of colorectal cancers, each with its own unique risk factors and symptoms. These include family history, genetics and lifestyle.
Black Americans have the highest rates of sporadic, or non-hereditary, colorectal cancer in the United States, according to research from 2018. Their chance of developing this cancer is at least 20% higher than white people’s and their fatality rate is 40% higher.
The reason for these differences is unknown. It could be a result of differences in how people’s bodies respond to certain drugs or hormones. Or it could be because Black people are less likely to get regular screening, allowing their colon cancer to progress and worsen.
Regardless of the cause, colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the U.S. The most important thing is to be proactive about detecting the cancer early, when it is easiest to treat.
About 90% of colon cancers begin as noncancerous polyps. They develop slowly and usually do not cause any symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
