Rosa Lee Development Foundation
Doing the right thing to help fight colon cancer
What is Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Most colorectal cancers start as a growth or polyp on the inner lining of the colon or rectum.
Colon Cancer vs. Colorectal Cancer
Colon cancer is sometimes called colorectal cancer, which is the combination of colon cancer and rectal cancer, which begins in the rectum.
What causes polyps?
Many factors play into the cause of polyps. As with many diseases, family history contributes to the risk of developing polyps as well as increased risk of colon cancer. Lifestyle choices contribute to the cause or growth of polyps.
Who can get Colon Cancer?
The risk of colorectal cancer increases as people get older. Colorectal cancer can occur in young adults and teenagers, but the majority of colorectal cancers occur in people older than 50. For colon cancer, the average age at the time of diagnosis for men is 68 and for women is 72.
Helpful Information
- Colon Cancer Facts
- Causes of Colon Cancer
- Catch it Early
- Treatment
- Learning to Survuve
You Can Survive
“Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future. Faith is the courage to dance to it today.”
Peter Kuzmic
Early Detection
Colorectal cancer screening is one of the best tools against colorectal cancer. A screening means looking for cancer or pre-cancer in someone who has no symptoms of the disease. Screening is useful in finding colon cancer early when it is small and has not spread. With screening, doctors can find and remove polyps before they have the chance to turn into cancer.
Treatment
Many factors contribute to the method of treatment to be used. One key factor is the stage of the cancer. Different methods of treatment may be combined at the same time or used after one another. Examples of treatment are chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, surgery, radiation and ablation and embolization.
Living as a Survivor
For many colon/colorectal cancer patients, treatment can remove or destroy the cancer. Ending treatment can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement of being cancer free is a relief however, the fear of the cancer returning can be stressful. The torn emotions are very common. For some patients the cancer does not go away. In these cases, chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments are used to control the cancer for as long as possible. Learning to live with cancer can be very stressful. However, there are ways to help patients navigate through the difficult times.
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