🎗️ What Is Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the colon or rectum, parts of the large intestine. It usually begins as small, noncancerous growths called polyps, which can turn into cancer over time if not removed.
It is one of the most common types of cancer but is also highly treatable if detected early.
🔍 Causes & Risk Factors:
- Age over 50 (though it’s increasingly found in younger adults too)
- Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
- Diet high in red or processed meat, and low in fiber
- Lack of physical activity
- Obesity
- Smoking and heavy alcohol use
- Type 2 diabetes
⚠️ Symptoms:
Often no symptoms in early stages. As cancer progresses:
- Change in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or narrower stools)
- Blood in stool or rectal bleeding (bright red or dark)
- Persistent abdominal pain, cramps, or gas
- Feeling that the bowel doesn’t empty completely
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue or weakness
- Iron-deficiency anemia (from slow blood loss)
🩺 Diagnosis:
- Colonoscopy (gold standard for finding and removing polyps)
- Stool tests (FIT, FOBT, stool DNA)
- CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy)
- Biopsy (to confirm cancer)
- Imaging scans (CT, MRI, PET) to see if cancer has spread
🎯 Staging:
Colorectal cancer is staged from Stage 0 (very early) to Stage IV (advanced, with spread to distant organs).
💊 Treatment:
Depends on the stage and location:
- Surgery – to remove the tumor or part of the colon
- Chemotherapy – to kill cancer cells
- Radiation therapy – often used in rectal cancer
- Targeted therapy – attacks specific cancer cell proteins
- Immunotherapy – boosts the immune system (for certain types)
🛡️ Prevention & Early Detection:
- Regular screening starting at age 45 (or earlier with risk factors)
- Colonoscopy can prevent cancer by removing precancerous polyps
- Eat a healthy, high-fiber diet
- Exercise regularly
- Limit red and processed meats
- Don’t smoke; limit alcohol
- Maintain a healthy weight