Colon and Rectal Cancer

For additional information and recommendations, please see related articles on colon cancer and polyps within our web site.

Colon Cancer presents with rectal bleeding and or a change in bowel habits. Other possible signs include anemia, weight loss, and anorexia. Larger lesions may be evident on physical examination of the abdomen, and patient may present with signs of obstruction.

A number of risk factors has been associated with the occurrence of Colon Cancer. Age - patients over age 40 are a higher risk. Diet - recently high fiber low fat diet has been suggestive of lowering risk of colon cancer. Predisposing disease such as inflammatory bowel disease and adenomatous polyps formation. Finally a strong hereditary predisposition to colon cancers seem to exist.

Colon cancer lesions found early in polyp formation are completely curable through endoscopic removal. Large superficially spreading lesions are treated by surgical resection of the segment of colon involved. If the cancer has not grown into the blood vessels or lymphatics the surgical resection is curative. Large lesions involving the lymph and blood vessels are resected to prevent colon obstruction but are not curative at this point.

Both of these lesions were found in the same patient and abdominal-perineal resection and right colectomy were performed.

Patients having large, superficially spreading adenoma's or cancer lesions are referred for colon resections and follow up colonoscopy is done at 6-12 month interval and subsequently every one to two years.

Anastomatic sites are examined closely for signs of reoccurring tumor and biopsies are done.

Surgical removal of rectal lesions require an abdominal perineal resection and a colostomy.