Colon cancer is generally observed in the cells of colon which is an important and largest part of our digestive system. Colon helps to absorb the nutrients, minerals and water. And it rid of the waste from the body in the form of stool. There are different types of colon cancer-such as adenocarcinomas, people about 95% affected to this cancer and others are neuroendocrine tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, carcinoid tumors, lymphomas, melanoma, leiomyosarcomas and signet cell tumors

Stages of colon cancer:

To avail the right treatment you should know the exact stage of your colon cancer that means the location where the cancer spread. The symptoms of colon cancer depend on the size of the tumor, location of where the cancer is spread. You would be surprised to know that you can not see any symptoms at the early stage of the disease. but when the cancer grow that include the symptoms such as constipation problem, you can see the changes in stool consistency, narrow stools, blood in stool, pain cramps or gas in the abdomen, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, anemia, unexpected weight loss etc. A complete physical examination with family medical history needed for the diagnosis of the colon cancer which include colonoscopy also. In the colonoscopy a flexible tube with a camera use to check the polyps in the colon, if found then it sent to the pathology for biopsy. Barium liquid swallows to the patient to take the x ray of colon and rectum. On the x ray the polyps and tumors look very dark. With the TNM system the doctors detect the stage of the colon cancer and then recommend which treatment is better. According to the TNM classification the this cancer has four stages. When the size of the tumor has not grown so much and not invaded in the inner layer of the colon it would be the primitive stage. At the last stage which is written as M1 that stands the cancer cells spread to the other organs throughout the body.

Single treatment is not possible to treat the this cancer surgery is must which is called colectomy. In this surgery the surgeon removes the part of cancer affected areas totally. Laparoscopy is done to remove the larger polyps. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also done during the treatment but this treatment depends on the age, types of cancer, and stages of cancer and health status. At the advance stage when the cancer is untreatable the palliative surgery is also applied. This surgery helps to remove the blockage in the colon that helps to relieve the pain and other symptoms of the colon cancer. Chemotherapy session includes side effects also such as hair fall, nausea, fatigue, vomiting etc. Radiation therapy is high energy gamma rays that focused on the cancer cells and destroyed them. This therapy is not applied at the early stage of colon cancer but if the rectal cancer suspected at that time in the lymph nodes in that time only this therapy is applied.

To prevent this cancer some preventive measures should be taken such as- consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, avoid saturated fat and red meat take exercise regularly, try to keep healthy weight. You should leave the smoking and alcohol habit. Regularly screening test, DNA test, and sigmoidoscopy every 5 years at the age of 50 is very important.