Understanding Colorectal Cancer

Posted On: 05-24-2019

Among the more common types of cancer is colorectal cancer, which refers to any kind of cancer within the colon, bowel, or rectal areas of the body. These types of cancer occur in over four percent of all men and women. Being able to properly identify the symptoms of colorectal cancer should help you obtain treatment before the disease has progressed too much.

What Does Colorectal Cancer Refer To?

Any cancer that adversely affects the colon and rectum is considered to be a colorectal cancer, which means that there are multiple cancers that qualify. While this broad type of cancer is a leading cause of death among both men and women, the rate of death from this cancer type has been falling due to the development of better treatment solutions. Colorectal cancer can be either benign or malignant, the latter of which means that the cancer can spread to other areas within the body.

Symptoms

Because of the various areas of the body that colorectal cancer can develop in, there are an array of symptoms that could affect you when suffering from this cancer, the primary of which includes changes in your bowel movements. You might begin to suffer from more frequent bouts of either constipation or diarrhea. Blood could be present in your feces or could come out of the rectum. You might also experience some bloating or pain in the abdomen. Other symptoms that you might experience when suffering from this cancer include fatigue, a lump in the abdomen, a substantial iron deficiency, and a major weight loss that otherwise can't be explained.

Types of Colorectal Cancer

The most common type of colorectal cancer is an adenocarcinoma, which makes up more than 95 percent of these cancers. This type of cancer begins within the mucous glands of your colon as a malignant tumor, which means that spreading is inevitable. Some of the less common types of colorectal cancer include a lymphoma, sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, or carcinoid tumor. It's possible for some gastrointestinal stromal tumors to be benign.

Surgical Treatment Options

Treatment for colorectal cancer depends on the stage of the cancer as well as the size and location of the tumor. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are treatment options that can be used to diminish side effects of the colorectal cancer as well as the tumor itself. Surgery for colorectal cancer is the most common type of treatment that focuses on removing the malignant tumor as well as the lymph nodes that are positioned nearby.

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