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Colon Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Colon Cancer

What is Colon Cancer?

Colon cancer is the result of abnormal polyps or tumors growing in the colon. Sometimes colon cancer affects the rectum as well receiving the colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. 

Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer excluding skin cancers in the United States. It is usually asymptomatic and often only found during routine screening exams. 

Although colon cancer is one of the most common cancers, it is also one of the easiest cancers to prevent. 

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is often not diagnosed based on symptoms. Unless it is very severe, symptoms typically fly under the radar. 

Some things that can be symptoms of colon cancer include:

  • Bowel habit changes (i.e. diarrhea, constipation, frequency of bowel movements, narrowing of the stool)
  • Dark or bloody stools
  • Blood when having a bowel movement
  • Cramping or abdominal pain
  • The feeling of a bowel movement not being complete after you use the bathroom
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Feeling more fatigued than usual

Now, looking at this list, you might say they look like symptoms of lots of other gastrointestinal issues. You’d be right to say that. Conditions like IBS, Crohn’s disease, and others do experience similar if not the same symptoms. 

That is why it is so important to bring up any of these symptoms to your doctor so you can have a definitive diagnosis. People are often uncomfortable bringing up their bathroom habits to their doctors until it is a major issue. But bringing it up too late could be the difference between quick and easy treatment or a potentially life-threatening condition. 

How is Colon Cancer Diagnosed?

Colon cancer is diagnosed after a colon screening. Colonoscopies are the most accurate and effective tests available.

People are scheduled to begin getting colonoscopies at 45 or 50 depending on family history. These tests can find pre-cancerous polyps and remove them for further testing. They can also find and remove cancerous tissues. 

There has been a recent surge in younger people getting colon cancer. Millennials have been experiencing a higher rate of early colon cancer than any other generation. This suggests the age of screening may need to be lowered. If you notice any changes in your bowel habits, talk to your doctor right away. 

There are alternative tests to colonoscopies. Some doctors may choose to screen with fecal samples or other screening types depending on your personal preferences and medical history. 

A recent alternative has come out for at-home colon cancer screening called Cologuard. However, it is not as effective as colonoscopies and if it comes up positive you still need to get a colonoscopy anyway. So just stick with the original because it truly saves you time, money, and worry. 

You can read more about the differences between colonoscopies and cologuard here.

What Causes Colon Cancer?

While there is no one definitive cause of colon cancer, there are multiple things that researchers think may contribute to its development. So while they may not cause it, they do have a role in cancer development.

  1. Changes to the DNA within the cells cause mutations and replication alterations
  2. Family history of colon cancer can contribute to your susceptibility to these DNA mutations through genetics
  3. Inactive lifestyle
  4. Obesity
  5. Tobacco, alcohol, or drug use
  6. Gut microbiome disturbances
  7. Low fiber intake — fiber helps to bulk up stool and clean out the colon
  8. Overeating — fasting has been shown to starve cancer cells and improve the body’s ability to clean out damaged cells so they cannot replicate
  9. Other gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s and UC
  10. Other forms of cancer
  11. History of polyps

Research is ongoing for ways to prevent colon cancer. However, leading a healthy lifestyle with frequent movement, a healthy diet, and avoiding drugs can help you to prevent colon cancer.

This article shows some recent research on how flavonols (a polyphenol group) can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. 

Treatment Options for Colon Cancer

Treatment for colon cancer will depend on what stage the cancer is in, your health history, and what your doctor thinks will work best for your particular situation. 

Colon cancer stages depend on the TNM method of diagnosis. T stands for tumor and takes into account the size of the tumor and how far it’s grown into the tissues. N stands for nodes and takes into account if it has started to affect the neighboring lymph nodes. M stands for metastasis, so if the cancer has spread to other body parts. 

The different stages of colon cancer are:

  • Stage 0 — This is the earliest possible stage of cancer. It is also referred to as in situ carcinoma because it is only in one area and has not moved outward in any way. Surgery is the best and least invasive option at this stage to remove the cancer. 
  • Stage 1 — The cancer has started to grow into the next layer of tissue. 
  • Stage 2 — The cancer is still in the colon but has started to spread to a larger range.
  • Stage 3 — At this point, the cancer has grown out of the colon and has started affecting 1-3 lymph nodes. However, it hasn’t reached out to other areas of the body yet.
  • Stage 4 — The cancer is no longer just in the colon. It has started affecting other areas of the body outside of the colon and has become more serious.

Colon cancer treatment can include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and alternative therapies. Some people need a combination while others can rely on just one. 

Doing your own research can help you to decide what you feel is best for your body. Your doctor will be able to give you further information on each treatment and they will be able to let you know which treatment they feel is best for your specific needs. 

Making sure that you try to maintain healthy lifestyle choices during treatment can be difficult, but prioritizing these decisions can help make the treatments more effective and reduce the unwanted side effects you may experience. 

As always, talk to your doctor before adding in any new treatments or conjunctive therapies to make sure they will not have negative interactions with the treatments you are currently receiving. 

Read more about alternative supplements for colon cancer that may be able to help you during your treatments. 

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