How to Detect Bowel Cancer Symptoms

Bowel cancer or colorectal cancer is the most common internal cancer that occurs in humans. Bowel cancer is also the second most frequent cause of death after lung cancer. Typically, bowel cancer occurs in the colon (large intestine) and the rectum (back passage). However, in some very small number of cases of this disease, it can also occur in the small intestine. Frequently, the colorectal cancer develops from polyps that grow inside the lining of the intestine wall. When the polyps become malignant, they turn into cancer. Untreated, bowel cancer can grow through the wall of the intestine and spread to other parts of the body.

While death mostly occurs in advanced stages of this disease, the chances for recovery for this cancer are very high if it is detected in its early stages. The success of the recovery can be more than 90% of all cases. Early symptoms of bowel cancer resemble minor intestinal problems such as constipation, gas, and so forth. It is very important for you to notice any changes in your bowel habits and digestion and seek medical help...

If you have any of the following symptoms for three weeks or longer, it could be a sign of colorectal cancer, and you should see your doctor immediately. These symptoms include:
- Rectal bleeding
Your back passage bleeds without any apparent reason. The blood can be found in your stool or on your toilet paper following a bowel movement. Along with that, you may also find other symptoms such as lumps, itchiness, straining and soreness around the rectum. Hemorrhoids can also cause these same symptoms. Make a habit to look into the bowl prior to flushing to watch for these symptoms.
- Changes in bowel movement habits
You may experience constant constipation or diarrhea due to the disturbance of muscles. Constipation is usually followed by a feeling of not feeling completely empty even when you already have passed the stool. Meanwhile, diarrhea causes more frequent bowel movements and often with lots of clear, jelly-like mucus.
- Pain in abdominal area
Abdominal pain can be constant or periodic. For some people, it lingers and does not go away. For some others, it comes and goes at unexpected times. When the pain becomes serious, you should contact your physician to get immediate help.
- Anemia
If you bleed often while passing a stool, there is a chance you suffer from anemia. This shows up as unexpected fatigue and breathlessness.
- A lump found in your abdomen or tummy, especially on the right side.
- Unexplained and unexpected weight loss; often along with an unexplained loss of appetit

How to Detect Bowel Cancer Symptoms

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Colon Cancer - Many Factors Contribute Greatly to the Occurrence of Colon Cancer

Modern lives present many of the ease and speed in fulfilling the needs of human life, have affected change in lifestyle for some people. Fast food and high fat foods that were encountered, causing some people are less interested in eating natural foods that require a long process, but these foods contain a lot of substance that are beneficial to health.

Busyness and adequate transportation facilities to support day-to-day activities, also causes some people exercise less movement or exercising so that the processes of digestion and metabolism to go slowly.

The things mentioned above are some of the many factors that contribute to colon cancer. Thus, wrong diet such as lack of fiber diet, sedentary lifestyle / exercise, exposure to carcinogenic substances, and a history of hereditary type of disease, believed to be a risk factor for colon cancer.

One way of dealing with colon cancer is surgery with removal of colon cancer in a hospital, followed by making a hole (stoma) in the abdominal wall to remove dirt. Installation of the stoma is temporary and there is no settled for a lifetime. For those who must be installed for a lifetime, most likely will affect aspects of life patient physical, psychological, social, and spiritual. In other words, it will also impact on satisfaction, happiness, and quality of life of patients.

Installation of intestinal stoma is seen as a burden of stress that can affect quality of life in many dimensions. Initially, patients feel discomfort, embarrassment, pain, anxiety, and other problems. If the ability to adapt is insufficient, patients could not rule out the possibility of despair, depression, and falls on the poor health conditions. This will reduce the survival of patients. Colostomy (a type of stoma) has a very serious negative impact on quality of life of patients. While other studies have found that the stoma affects the limitations of daily activity and social interaction.

Some people still think that cancer makes a huge life crisis. The reactions in some people with cancer vary widely, for example shock, fear, anxiety, grief, anger, sadness, and until there is a shut down.
These reactions are very human and are the parts of life that everyone must face. Feelings of anxiety in cancer patients because they fear the impact it had, such as changes in body image and death. Feelings of anxiety are not the only complaint that most felt by the patient, stress may also be felt by them.

Colon Cancer - Many Factors Contribute Greatly to the Occurrence of Colon Cancer
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High Fiber Food Diet Cuts Risk of Colon Polyps

Want to reduce your risk of colon polyps, commonly seen as a precursor to cancer? Lots of research has looked at broad categories of foods... fruits and veggies for instance, now we have a study that's focusing on specific foods from a high fiber food diet.

Researchers have found that those who regularly eat foods like brown rice; legumes (beans, peas, lentils), cooked green veggies and dried fruits had a lower chance of colon polyps, recognized as a precursor to cancer of the colon.

The recommendations come after an analysis of data from nearly 3000 subjects taking part in a Study who were monitored for an astonishing 26 years.
The participants completed an initial survey that asked how often, on average, they ate specific foods. The follow up survey asked respondents who had undergone colonoscopies to report any colon polyps their doctor had diagnosed. During this 26-year study period, just short of 450 people went on to develop rectal or colon polyps.

The potentially troublesome colon polyp is a fleshy growth that appears on the inner lining of your large intestine. The growths are surprisingly common, and they are even more likely as the years pass.
Doctors know that about 75% of some polyps, known technically as adenomas, will become cancerous if given time enough to grow. This is why your health care team makes such a fuss about having those screenings when you should. Screening is still the best way to prevent disease from taking hold.
The researchers found that risk of polyps reduced by 40% in people who had brown rice once a week; 33% lower among these who ate legumes at a minimum of three times per week.

Eating dried fruits three or more times per week was linked to a 26% lower risk when compared to those who ate less than one dried fruit a week.
As for the cooked green veggies, eating them daily was linked to a 24% lower risk compared to those who ate them on less than five occasions per week.
These numbers held even after the team accounted for factors like a family history of colon cancer, education, physical activity level, intake of alcohol, smoking status, constipation, intake of sweets, use of pain medication and intake of multivitamins. Food variables were also considered, and adjusted for as needed.
So what do the foods studied have in common?
They're all healthy options, of course... but more importantly; they all contain a lot of fiber that's known to reduce potential carcinogens in the body. What's more, cruciferous veggies (broccoli is one) also have detoxifying compounds that might make them a very natural way to protect the lining of the intestine from trouble.
Study researchers believe eating these kinds of foods can help to reduce the number of colon polyps you have, and thus your risk for developing colon cancer.
High Fiber Food Diet Cuts Risk of Colon Polyps

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Colon Cancer: Are You At Risk?

Colon cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers for both men and women in the Untied States. It is important that you understand your risk for developing this disease, as well as lifestyle changes you can make now to reduce your chances of falling victim to colon cancer.
Cancer of the large intestine, or colon, typically begins as small clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Often, these small polyps form in your colon and produce few, if any, symptoms. If they are not removed, they may eventually become cancerous. This is why physicians recommend routine screening to identify and remove polyps before they become a problem.
One of the best ways to prevent death from colon cancer is to have regular screenings. Because more than 90% of all colorectal cancers are found in people who are 50 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends that you start getting routine colon screenings at age 50. If you have a family history of this disease, your physician may recommend that you start screening earlier.
Three of the most common screenings for colon cancer include a stool test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Your physician will make recommendations for how often you should have these tests administered.
Aside from age, there are some other risk factors that may make you more susceptible to developing colon cancer. Some of these factors include:

• Race
• African-Americans have a higher risk for developing this disease than people of other races
• Family history
• Parents, siblings, and children of a person diagnosed with colon cancer are at a higher risk than the average person of developing the disease themselves.
• Personal history of polyps or cancer
• Inflammatory intestinal conditions
• Two of the most common conditions are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
• High fat, low fiber diet
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Heavy use of alcohol

While some of these risk factors, like race and age, cannot be changed, there are some lifestyle alterations that you can make to reduce your chance of developing this type of cancer. Keep in mind that just because you have one or more of these risks, it does not mean you will develop colon cancer. You should talk with your physician about these risk factors so that he or she can provide adequate screening and give you suggestions for a healthy lifestyle.

Many people exhibit few, if any, symptoms of colon cancer in the early stages of the disease. As it progresses, patients may notice unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal discomfort, a change in their bowel habits, rectal bleeding, blood in their stool, weakness, or excessive fatigue. The only way to truly know if you have colon cancer is through screenings and tests administered by your physician.
The good news is that colorectal cancer is often highly treatable. The key to survival is identifying and removing polyps early, before they turn into cancer. Those patients, whose cancer is discovered early, before it has spread, have a very high 5-year survival rate. With more awareness about colon cancer screenings, the death rate from this disease continues to decline.

Article Source:EzineArticles.com