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Essay on colon cancer
Essay on colon cancer
Free medical essay on colon cancer
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“Once colon cancer becomes symptomatic, nine times out of ten it is too late” (“Colon Quotes”). Colon cancer has always been an issue in the world. It is a deadly cancer that has killed many over the years. Colon cancer affects both men and women as they get older. There have been many deaths and diagnosis over the years because of colon cancer. It affects patients, families, and friends because of the battles the patients have to go through. Colon cancer is a deadly cancer that puts many through tough battles.
Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is found all around the world. It is most common in North America and Europe and is least rare in Asia and Africa (Garnick 786). This shows how colon cancer is known all over the world. It also shows how location and culture affects the chances of someone getting colon cancer. Worldwide, the incidence of colon cancer in developed countries is 37 (per 100,000 people per year) and in undeveloped countries, 10 (Panno 58). This proves that colon cancer is more common in developed countries because there are more choices and a bigger variety of food. This also proves that where someone lives in the world could affect their chance of getting colon cancer. There is a lot of information, cases, and facts about colon cancer. The annual number of new colon cancer cases worldwide is 164,673 in North America, 41,946 in South America, 362,710 in Europe, 23,454 in Africa, and 338,832 in Asia (Panno 56).
There are many different parts to the digestive system, including the colon. The colon, also known as the large intestine, is an important part of the body. “The colon and rectum are parts of the digestive system, which is also called the gastrointestinal (GI) system…” (“Co...
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...ght Colorectal Cancer. Fight Colorectal Cancer, 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
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“Colon Cancer.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
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Garnick, Marc. “Colon Cancer.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 2009 edition. 2009. Print.
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Panno, Joseph. Cancer: The Role of Genes, Lifestyle, and Environment. New York: Facts On File, 2005. Print.
I think the chapter that helps to support her main point the most is chapter four titled “Space.” In this chapter, she discussed a great deal about the geographic distribution of cancer as well as the environment of the people who are more likely to get cancer. This includes: job type, living location, and living surroundings. To expand on each, she states that workers with
...ozzi E, Biffoni M, Todaro M, Peschle C, et al. Identification and expansion of human colon-cancer-initiating cells. Nature. 2007;445(7123):111-5.
Cancer is one of the 9 National Health Priority Areas (NHPA), areas which account for a significant portion of the burden of disease, but have sizeable potential for improvement. In Australia, CRC is the second most common cancer, after prostate (in men) and breast cancer (in women) (AIHW, Cancer incidence projections). The incidence has gradually increased (by 13% in males from 1982-2007) (AIHW, Cancer in Australia an overview). This is compounded by the ageing population and population growth, with 14,860 new cases in 2010 (http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/bowel-cancer). This graph demonstrates this upward trend ((AIHW, Cancer incidence projections):
Colorectal cancer, or CRC, affects African American men and women more than Caucasians, at a rate 20% higher. This is concerning when faced with the mortality rates among African Americans, 28% higher for women and 14% higher for men than for Whites. African Americans are also more likely to be in later stages of the disease when diagnosed. There is a need to study and evaluate why these factors exist, as proper screening and early diagnosis can severely impact survival rates for CRC. One study attempts to find the solution through testing, however, this study slightly discredits itself along the way.
Colorectal cancers are thought to develop slowly over a period of several years. Before a true cancer develops, there usually are precancerous changes in the lining of the colon or rectum. These changes might be dysplasia or adenomatous polyps. A polyp is a growth of tissue into the center of the colon or rectum. Some types of polyps (hyperplastic polyps and inflammatory polyps) are not precancerous. However, having adenomatous polyps, also known as adenomas, does increase a person’s risk of developing cancer, especially if there are many polyps or they are large.
The main purposes of the colon are to absorb water and electrolytes to compact the feces for expulsion and expulsion of the feces. The length of the colon is roughly one to one and a half meters and the diameter spans from two to eight centimeters. The colon is made up of seven sections. These sections are the cecum, the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, the rectum and the anal canal.
Through time, most renowned practitioners of alternative medicine have claimed that an unclean colon is the most dominant cause of all kinds of diseases. Without regular and proper bowl movements, the waste material that is supposed to be driven out of the body remains inside. They in turn produce toxins which are slowly absorbed by other parts of the body including the organs. This in no way can be something good for the body. In fact the toxic waste can
"Red meat and colon cancer." Harvard Health Publications. Harvard, Mar. 2008. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
The digestive system otherwise known as the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) is a long tube which runs from the mouth to the anus. It operates to break down the food we eat from large macromolecules such as starch, proteins and fats, which can’t be easily absorbed, into readily absorbable molecules such as glucose, fatty acids and amino acids. Once broken down, these molecules can cross the cells lining the small intestine, enter into the circulatory system and be transported around the body finally being used for energy, growth and repair.
Colon cancer develops in the part of the gastrointestinal tract that absorbs water and minerals before waste products are disposed via the rectum. In women endometrial cancer is related to colon cancer. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in the United States. Over one-hundred fifty thousand individuals will be diagnosed this year and this cancer will probably be responsible for about 47,900 deaths in 1999 (http://www.cancer.org). Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas that develop from the glandular cells. Ninety percent of all colon cancer cases will develop in individuals after 50 years of age. Ninety percent of all tumors arise from polyps that are commonly found in people older than 50. Prevention includes regular exercise and a diet high in fiber. The most important risk factor is age. Medical screening includes a yearly blood occult test after age 50 and a colonoscopy every 3 years after age 50. Regular screening detects polyps that have become precancerous. If regular screening is not done, the cancer is not detected until blood is found in the...
The Digestive system is a group of hollow and solid organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body. These nutrients are used for energy, growth and cell repair. Once the food enters the mouth it passes through a long tube inside the body which has many names such as the alimentary canal, the gastrointestinal tract also known as the GI tract or the digestive tract. The process starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. The hollow organs that make up the GI tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine which includes the rectum and anus. The solid organs of the digestive system are the liver, pancreas, and the gallbladder. Once we ingest the food the body digests the food and is broken down into its own component chemical. The body must perform six major functions in order to provide energy and nutrients to the body, these functions are ingestion, secretion, mixing and movement, digestion, absorption and excretion.
Since 1979 the diagnoses of cancer have gone up nearly 20% in a generation as there is more people smoking, drinking, obesity and unfitness (theguardian website, 2011, para. 1). There has been in increase of women with the diagnosis, the diagnoses have risen up by 50% (459 per 100,00), men have risen from 20,000 to 24,000 (the guardian website, 2011, para. 2). Socioeconomic class does have an effect in some cases as cervical and lung cancers are more common in poor people while rates of breast cancer and melanoma are higher in the wealthy (ScienceDaily website, 2008, para. 1). Demographics could also have some effect as those of the wealthier group have more exposure to UV by traveling abroad for the holidays (ScienceDaily website, 2008, para. 5). In regards to smoking, deprived groups continue to smoke while the wealthier groups have quit smoking (ScienceDaily website, 2008, para. 7). Researchers have linked cancer to not only demographics, socioeconomic class but also race and
Colorectal cancer is the most recognized reason for cancer-related deaths for men and women together, as per the American Cancer Society. However, not at all like prostate, breast, and lung cancer, colon cancer is the most preventable diseases if variations from the norm in the colon are diagnosed right on time with appropriate screening. With colon cancer, the distinction is we can recognize polyps — small bumps in the colon that transform into cancer.
There are various types of cancer that we can suffer from, most of which attack a specific region of the body. The treatments available to us to combat the negative effects of cancer have improved over the years but cancer as a disease is still responsible for killing a significant number of people each and every year. Colorectal cancer or bowel cancer is one such cancer which can have devastating effects, leaving patients without the ability to pass stools unassisted as well as death if left undiagnosed and untreated. In this article, we’ll cover the most common symptoms as well as the possible treatment available.
The excretory system, which includes the rectum and anus helps the digestive system by getting rid of waste and the digestive system helps the excretory system by breaking down food to be eliminated from the body. Wow! The human body wouldn’t be able to work without one or the other. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading my journey throughout the human digestive system. I hope to write again from where my next journey from here will begin- perhaps it will be in the ocean or along Sydney Water pipes. Until next