Colorectal Cancer is the cancer of your large intestine, the last part of your digestive tract. The likelihood of colorectal cancer diagnosis increases after the age of 40, increases progressively from age 40 and rises sharply after age 50. Colorectal Cancer is one of the 10 most types of cancer.
Causes:
Old age: The majority of people diagnosed with colon cancer are above the age of 50 years. It can occur in younger age but that is less frequent.
Inherited: You are at a higher risk of colon cancer if genetic syndromes have passed through generations of your family.
Inflammatory intestinal conditions: With chronic inflammatory conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease you’re at a higher risk.
Symptoms:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Anaemia
- Bloating or fullness of abdomen
- Cramps in abdomen
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain or tenderness in lower abdomen
- Bloody stool
- Diarrhoea, constipation or other changes in bowel functions
- Stools narrower than normal ones
Tests:
Colonoscopy:
Colonoscopy is used to visualize the interior of your entire colon and any of those suspected areas tissues are collected and sent for analysis.
CT Colonography:
CT Colonography is also called virtual colonoscopy, combines multiple CT scan images to create a detailed picture of the inside of your colon.
Statistics:
More than 90% of colorectal cancer cases occur in people aged 50 or older.The incidence rate is more than 50 times higher in persons aged 60 to 79 years than in those younger than 40 years.
However, colorectal cancer appears to be increasing among younger persons. In fact, in the United States, colorectal cancer is now one of the 10 most commonly diagnosed cancers among men and women aged 20 to 49 years.