by Peter Degen-Portnoy

Created on: April 24, 2008   Last Updated: April 29, 2008

Cancer is a scary word. After all, we have all grown up seeing the effect of cancer on people around us and have heard stories, read books and seen movies centered on

how cancer ravages a person. And on top of all that, what could be scarier than cancer of the colon?

But be at ease for we live in wondrous times and our understanding of this disease is astounding. Even more wondrous is that our ability to detect, manage and

survive this cancer is better today than ever before. For example, while the mortality rate from colon cancer in Sweden climbed steadily from the 1930's through the

end of the 1970s' to around 21 deaths per 100,000 people, it has declined some 20% since then.1

Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine, which is the lower part of the digestive system. The last six inches of the digestive tract is the rectum; cancer in

this area is rectal cancer. Together, the two forms are referred to as colorectal cancer.2 According to the National Cancer Institute, some 150 thousand people will

be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2008.3 Most cases of colorectal cancers begin as small clumps of cells called polyps. Over time, these polyps can grow into

cancerous cells.4

Early warning symptoms of colon cancer are generally classified as changes in ones bowel habits. This can include ongoing diarrhea or constipation, blood in your

stool, having gas pains or cramps, or feeling full or bloated or that you cannot empty your bowel completely. Since colon cancer symptoms like these are very

general, if you feel you have any of these symptoms, the best course of action is to see your doctor. Even better than that, make sure you maintain a healthy

lifestyle and get regular cancer screenings starting at age 50 (earlier if you have family history of cancers).5,6

Should you find that you have developed colon cancer, then you will need treatment. The typical forms of treatment depend upon the location of the cancer and its

stage of development. The forms of treatment for colon cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy and radiation therapy. Plus, cancer treatment can be

local therapy, focused on the site where the cancer has formed, or it can be systematic therapy where the entire body is treated. Surgery, the most common form of

treatment, and radiation therapy are local therapies, where as biological therapy (the use of monoclonal antibodies that bind to colon cancer cells and disrupt cell

growth) and chemotherapy are systematic treatment forms.7

How successful a treatment

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