Health Information : Colorectal Cancer

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What is colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer is malignant cells found in the colon or rectum. The colon and the rectum are parts of the large intestine, which is part of the digestive system. Because colon cancer and rectal cancers have many features in common, they are sometimes referred to together as colorectal cancer. Cancerous tumors found in the colon or rectum also may spread to other parts of the body.

What causes colorectal cancer?

The exact cause of most colorectal cancer is unknown but the known risk factors listed below are the most likely causes:

• Increasing age
• Presence of polyps in the large intestine
• Family background of colorectal cancer
• Race
• High fat intake
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Chronic ulcerative colitis
• Alcohol consumption, smoking and obesity are Risk factors

What are the symptoms of Colorectal Cancer?

Some common symptoms of Colorectal Cancer are:

• Weakness
• Change in bowel movements
• Narrow stools
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Blood in stool
• Narrow stool
• Pain or cramps in abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss

Treatment for colorectal cancer:

The Curative treatment for Colorectal Cancer is surgery. When the disease progresses to advanced stage, then a combination of treatemnts may be recommended by the doctors that include:

• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy                                                                                     
• Radiation therapy
• Stent placement