Colorectal Cancer Awareness

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Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancercolon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). A cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body.Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss, and feeling tired all the time.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer depend on the location of the tumor in the bowel, and whether it has spread elsewhere in the body (metastasis). The classic warning signs include: worsening constipation, blood in the stool, decrease in stool caliber (thickness), loss of appetite, loss of weight, and nausea or vomiting in someone over 50 years old. Around 50% of individuals with colorectal cancer do not report any symptoms.

Rectal bleeding or anemia are high-risk symptoms in people over the age of 50. Weight loss and changes in a person's bowel habit are typically only concerning if they are associated with rectal bleeding.

Cause

Greater than 75–95% of colorectal cancer occurs in people with little or no genetic risk. Risk factors include older age, male sex,high intake of fat, sugaralcoholred meatprocessed meatsobesitysmoking, and a lack of physical exercise.

  • Inflammatory bowel disease

  • Genetics

Pathogenesis

Colorectal cancer is a disease originating from the epithelial cells lining the colon or rectum of the gastrointestinal tract, most frequently as a result of mutations in the Wnt signaling pathway that increase signaling activity. The mutations can be inherited or acquired, and most probably occur in the intestinal crypt stem cell. The most commonly mutated gene in all colorectal cancer is the APC gene, which produces the APC protein. The APC protein prevents the accumulation of β-catenin protein. Without APC, β-catenin accumulates to high levels and translocates (moves) into the nucleus, binds to DNA, and activates the transcription of proto-oncogenes. These genes are normally important for stem cell renewal and differentiation, but when inappropriately expressed at high levels, they can cause cancer. While APC is mutated in most colon cancers, some cancers have increased β-catenin because of mutations in β-catenin (CTNNB1) that block its own breakdown, or have mutations in other genes with function similar to APC such as AXIN1AXIN2TCF7L2, or NKD1.

Treatment

  • Surgery :If the cancer is found at a very early stage, it may be removed during a colonoscopy using a variety of techniques including EMR and ESD. For people with localized cancer, the preferred treatment is complete surgical removal with adequate margins, with the attempt of achieving a cure. The procedure of choice is a partial colectomy (or proctocolectomy for rectal lesions) where the affected part of the colon or rectum is removed along with parts of its mesocolon and blood supply to facilitate removal of draining lymph nodes. This can either be done by an open laparotomy or laparoscopically, depending on patient and lesion factors.The colon may then be reconnected or a person may have a colostomy
  • Chemotherapy :In both cancer of the colon and rectumchemotherapy may be used in addition to surgery in certain cases. The decision to add chemotherapy in management of colon and rectal cancer depends on the stage of the disease. If cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or distant organs, which is the case with stage III and stage IV colon cancer respectively, adding chemotherapy agents fluorouracilcapecitabine or oxaliplatin increases life expectancy. If the lymph nodes do not contain cancer, the benefits of chemotherapy are controversial.
  • Radiation therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Palliative care
  • Exercise

Media Contact
Jessica Watson
Journal Manager
Clinical Gastroenterology Journal
Email: gastroenterology@eclinicalsci.com
WhatsApp: +1-947-333-4405