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Colon cancer

Condition Overview:

Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last 8 to 10 inches of the colon.

Like many people with colorectal cancer, you may have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in your large intestine. In some cases, your symptoms may result from a condition other than cancer, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and sometimes diverticulosis or diverticulitis. Like colorectal cancer, these conditions are treatable.Cancer affects your cells, the basic units of life. Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But sometimes this growth gets out of control — cells continue dividing even when new cells aren't needed. In the colon and rectum, this exaggerated growth may cause precancerous polyps (adenomas, or adenomatous polyps) to form in the lining of your intestine. Over a long period of time — spanning up to several years — some of these polyps may become cancerous. In later stages of the disease, cancerous polyps may penetrate the colon walls and spread (metastasize) to nearby lymph nodes and other organs.

Polyps can occur anywhere in your large intestine, the muscular tube that forms the last part of your gastrointestinal tract. The colon comprises the upper 4 to 5 feet of your large intestine, and the rectum makes up the lower 4 to 5 inches. Your colon absorbs water, salt and other minerals from food and stores waste until it's eliminated from your body.Polyps are either mushroom-shaped or flat and may be large or small.

There are also several different types of colon polyps. Among the most common are: Adenomas. These polyps have the potential to become cancerous and are usually removed during screening tests such as flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.
Hyperplastic polyps. These polyps are rarely, if ever, a risk factor for colorectal cancer.
 

Inflammatory polyps. These polyps may follow a bout of ulcerative colitis. Some inflammatory polyps may become cancerous, so having ulcerative colitis increases your overall risk of colon cancer.