How Does Colon Cancer Appear On An X-ray

Published on Jun 18 2010, in the categories: effects

There are special tests that can be made to diagnose colon cancer. Screenings are recommended by doctors with the purpose to discover the disease even before it is actually formed as a cancer.
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This way a doctor can see inside the colon and he can check out for any abnormal growths that might have been formed. If there are any threats found, in a colonoscopy for example, the polyps that can become colon cancer are removed. Regarding colon cancer there can be many things to ask. How is colon cancer diagnosed is jus one of them.
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However, if abnormal growths are discovered in the colon area, the doctor can not know for sure which is the sage on the cancer and how or where it has spread. Other medical interventions must be done with this certain purpose. The CT scan is an x-ray test in which images from all the body can be seen by the doctor.

How does colon cancer appear on an x-ray? Well, in such a medical test, the images of the areas you are willing to see can be very detailed and so, anything that is not in order can be discovered, the test can be used to see if colon cancer has spread to the lungs or the liver. CT scan actually means computer tomography.


Before having such an intervention, you will have to respect some rules your doctor is going to tell you. For example, you can not have the intervention if you are allergic to some of the components and on this matter the doctor must know all your general health particularities. However, to receive a full answer to the question how does colon cancer appear on an x-ray, you must know that this is not the only test that supposes the x-ray use.
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Chest x-ray can be made to see if colon cancer has affected to lungs. In most cases, colon cancer does spread to the lungs or the liver, but these are not the only organs that can be affected. Angiography is also an x-ray procedure that is used for looking at blood vessels. The most appropriate intervention is usually established by the oncologist and the patient. The doctor has to know all facts about the symptoms, the result of the screening procedure and the risk factors that influenced that patient.

The combination of more than one risk factor can be a determining cause of colon cancer. The age, the medical history of an individual and even the diet he had for several years are all considered to be very important risk factors in colon cancer development. Most doctors recommend to avoid as much as possible all of the risk factors of colon cancer that can be reduce by your own action.

Colon Cancer Back Pain

Published on May 22 2010, in the categories: effects

Colon cancer is a very common disease. This type of cancer can be developed and it can evolve rapidly, sometimes with no symptoms, and in most cases it is diagnosed when it is already advanced. However, for the situation in which symptoms do occur it is very important to recognize them and go to a doctor for a proper diagnosis, because unfortunately the first signs of colon cancer are in many cases associated with other diseases.
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So, in the first stages, colon cancer symptoms are just a few when they appear, and colon cancer back pain is not a common one. But in some cases colon cancer patients can experience back pain. This pain can be because of the cancer, but in some cases, it is just caused by the fact that those who develop colon cancer are usually individuals that are over the age of 50, and for them back pain is a common disease. However, in certain cases, back pain can be the result of colon cancer. If you experience this symptom, associated with other signs such as diarrhea or constipation, you should definitely think that something is wrong.

So, when colon cancer back pain affects an individual, the cure is going to regard the cancerous tumors cure because they are the main cause of the pain. Of course adjuvant treatments for back pain can be administrated such as acupuncture or back pain therapy. In colon cancer treatment the most common intervention is surgery. A surgery is performed with the purpose to remove the cancerous tumors and so eliminate all danger.

But, in some situations surgery can not be performed and here the most common cases are those in which the cancer spreads to other organs, such as the liver and the lungs. When this happens, secondary cancerous tumors are formed and to stop this process or to stop the cancerous tumors from growing or spreading, chemotherapy must be administrated.

Chemotherapy means the administration of powerful drugs that are given in different combinations, depending on the individual response to treatment. In some cases, the cancer can be cured even if it has reached the last stage, but in others nothing can be done. A patient can life with colon cancer from 6 to 12 months, but the period can be extended depending on the way the cancer evolves.

However, the most important thing is to know both the risk factors of colon cancer and its symptoms, to have screenings tests and medical checks regularly and this way discover the cancer as early as it was formed. Prevention can also be a good way to fight colon cancer before it was actually formed. Preventing the disease is not difficult at all and it will help you reduce the risks of getting ill.

What Are The Causes Of Colon Cancer

Published on May 11 2010, in the categories: effects

After reading very many thing regarding colon cancer risk factors, development and after you have seen some of the statistics of this disease, the next thing you will want to ask is what are the causes of colon cancer and why this disease is formed. However, these questions are nor easy to answer at all. In fact not even doctors or researches can tell exactly what are the causes of colon cancer.
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However, there are certain risk factors, that can favor the development of this type of cancer and some of them can be controlled by the individual’s action, while others are factors that can not be influenced by the prevention that a potential colon cancer patient can do. These risk factors are presented here.
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The first and most important one is the age of the patient. Even if colon cancer can affect an individual no matter what age is he, in the great majority of cases, about 91 percent, colon cancer affects individuals that are over the age of 50. Cancer usually occurs in people that are aged between 60 and 79, these ages’ categories being the ones with the most deaths too.

However, the gender of the individual does not seem to be a risk factor, because the disease affects both man and woman, approximately equal. About 75,590 men and 71,380 women were diagnosed with this disease in 2009. So, colon cancer is one of the leasing causes in cancer related deaths in the United States, about 50000 from all those diagnosed died because of this cancer type.


Diet is considered to be another important risk factor. When an individual eats for many years high fat foods and a lot of meat, the chances of developing colon cancer are higher. On the other hand, if you have a healthy diet, based on low fat foods and high in whole grains aliments, fruits and vegetables, your chances on developing some time colon cancer are lower.
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And if you have a healthy diet combined with exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, your general health will be improved and your body strength to fight any disease will increase. Smoking and drinking alcohol are also risk factors. Smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely than nonsmokers to die of because of colon cancer according to some studies. Drinking every day is also a great cause of this disease.


All these risk factors, except of the age of the individual are elements that can be controlled with the individual’s action. However, another important risk factor that is not under the influence of a person is a family history regarding colon cancer. Having a person in your family that had sometime colon cancer means that you can also develop it, so the family heritage is a great risk factor of this disease.

Effects Of Colon Cancer

Published on Mar 16 2010, in the categories: effects, General information, signs, Stages of disease

Colon cancer is a disease that affects many people every day. Colon cancer diagnoses and treatment depends on the stage in which the disease is discovered on a patient. Of course, every type of treatment has different side effects on the individual. So, the side effects of colon cancer treatment depend on the type of treatment and they can differ for each person. Usually they are temporary, but if they persist you must tell your doctor.

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The most common treatment in colon cancer cases is the surgical removal of the tumor. The surgery has different effect on patients depending on their general health. One side effect of colon cancer surgery is the constant feeling of weakness and tiredness. Also, surgery sometimes can cause constipation or diarrhea.


Signs of bleeding, infections or other problems that require immediate treatment can appear after a surgical intervention. They usually happen immediately after the intervention and doctors can treat all complications. Other complications can regard the anesthesia or the skin irritation around the cut. Usually, after surgery patients experience general discomfort and some pain.

Another treatment applied in colon cancer cases, mostly when surgery is not possible is chemotherapy. The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs administrated. They can include infections, bruise or bleed easily, and the patients can feel very weak and tired. Chemotherapy can also cause hair loss. Other effects include poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, or mouth and lip sores. Most of them can be controlled by administrating other medicines.

Radiation therapy effects depend on the general health of the patient and the quantity of the radiation given. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, rectal leakage, or urinary discomfort can be caused. Also the skin in the treated area may become red, dry, and tender. Often, treatments cause chills or fever. Side effects can include fatigue, rectal irritation, sexual difficulties and bladder irritation as well as frequent urges to urinate. All these symptoms should go away when the treatment is finished, but if they persist consult your doctor.

Besides the effects that the disease treatment has on the body, colon cancer and its different types of treatment have many effects on the patient mental comfort. Just knowing that you suffer from cancer can be a huge knock.


People diagnosed with the disease start thinking about the influence colon cancer will have on their lifestyle, way of work or usual activities. The psychological effects of colon cancer include anxiety, a high level of depression or post traumatic stress disorder with very strong consequences on the individual. Treatments should take into account the effects of the disease on the mental health of their patients and recommend them solutions for eliminating the stress and anxiety.