More and more people, some were even our loved ones, were being snatched away from us because of cancer. Here's a friendly informative a...
More and more people, some were even our loved ones, were being snatched away from us because of cancer. Here's a friendly informative article which won't hurt to read. It also gives us hope that we can battle and conquer cancer when detected early.
Do you experience diarrhea or constipation that lasts for
days, abdominal pain and rectal bleeding? Get yourself screened for bowel
cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, it is a malignant tumor that develops
in the lining of the large intestine and can spread to nearby organs or to
glands called lymph nodes.
“Bowel cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related
deaths in the Philippines but it is highly preventable and treatable when
diagnosed early. Filipinos should have sufficient information of the disease to
know how it can be prevented or managed,” says Dr. Nicky Montoya, president of
MediCard Philippines.
Here are essential facts about bowel cancer:
It can be colon cancer or rectal cancer.
Bowel cancer
can start in the colon (colon cancer) or in the rectum, which is the last 12 centimetres
of the large intestine (rectal cancer). The difference in location requires different
methods of treatments.
It usually
starts as polyps.
Most bowel cancer cells start as polyps, which are abnormal
growths in the inner lining of the colon and rectum. Polyps are not malignant except for one type
called adenoma, which becomes cancerous over time and multiplies
to form a tumor.
Its risk increases with age.
Polyps normally
appear as people get older and adenoma
develops into cancerous cells in about 10 years. This explains why majority
of those who are diagnosed with bowel cancer are 50 years old and above. The
disease can also develop in younger people although it occurs much less
frequently.
It can be triggered by poor
diet and an unhealthy lifestyle.
“Bad
food” and lack of exercise can build up toxins in the colon. Studies
link bowel cancer to a diet that’s low in fiber and high in fat and calories. Cigarette
smokers, heavy alcohol drinkers, obese people, and those who have sedentary
lifestyles are also prone to developing the disease.
Its crucial symptoms are
changes in bowel habit.
Signs of bowel
cancer include prolonged diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain,
vomiting, rectal bleeding, bloating, and a relentless feeling of moving your
bowels even when you’ve just finished
doing so. You
may also see blood in your stool. Physically, you may experience weakness,
fatigue and rapid weight loss.
It is 90 percent curable when diagnosed early.
Bowel cancer may not cause any symptoms during its early stage, which underlines the importance of
regular colorectal cancer screenings and tests including colonoscopy,
CT colonography,
flexible sigmoidoscopy, double-contrast
barium enema (DCBE), Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test, fecal immunochemical test (FIT), and stool DNA test.
Treatments include surgery (removal of polyps before they
become cancerous), chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted drug therapy. While no alternative treatment has been
proven to cure bowel cancer, certain techniques can help relieve
distress from the disease, including yoga, music therapy and relaxation
exercises.
The MediCard
Lifestyle Center offers
endoscopy and other quality medical services. Visit its website at http://medicardphils.com for more
information.