Colorectal Cancer: Diagnosis & Treatment

-

 In order to check for signs of colon cancer or noncancerous colon polyps, doctors recommend certain screening tests for healthy individuals who do not exhibit any symptoms. The best chance of a cure for colon cancer is to detect it early on. Colon cancer screening has been shown to lower mortality rates.


Most doctors say that people with a normal risk of getting colon cancer should start getting checked out around age 45. However, people who are at a higher risk, such as those who come from African-American families or have a family history of colon cancer, should get screened sooner rather than later.


There are a number of screening options, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. You and your doctor can decide which tests are best for you if you discuss your options. Polyps can be removed during the screening with a colonoscopy before they develop into cancer.




Diagnosing colon cancer


Your doctor may recommend one or more tests and procedures, such as the following, if your symptoms suggest that you may have colon cancer:


Examining the inside of your colon with a scope (colonoscopy). To view your entire colon and rectum during a colonoscopy, a long, flexible, and slender tube is attached to a video camera and monitor. Your doctor can remove polyps and take tissue samples (biopsies) for analysis through the tube if any suspicious areas are found.


A blood test. You can't tell if you have colon cancer with a blood test. However, your doctor may perform tests on your kidney and liver function in order to gather information about your overall health.


Carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA, is a chemical that can be produced by colon cancers. Your doctor may also test your blood for it. The level of CEA in your blood, which can be monitored over time, may help your doctor determine your prognosis and whether or not your cancer is responding to treatment.


Determining the extent of the cancer


Your doctor may recommend tests to determine the extent (stage) of your cancer if you have been diagnosed with colon cancer. Staging assists in selecting the most suitable treatments for you.


Imaging procedures like CT scans of the abdomen, pelvis, and chest may be part of staging tests. Your cancer's stage may not always be completely known until after you have surgery to remove your colon.


Roman numerals represent the stages of colon cancer, which range from 0 to IV. The lowest stage indicates cancer that only affects the lining of the colon. The cancer is considered to be advanced by stage IV because it has metastasized to other parts of the body.




Dr. Suvro Ganguly is one of the best Surgeons in Kolkata in the Department of Oncosurgery with special interest in Coloproctology. He joined Apollo Gleneagles Hospital in December 2018 and is practicing as a Surgeon in the Department of Oncosurgery with special interest in Coloproctology. He specializes in colorectal surgery, cancer surgery, advanced laparoscopy, advanced GI surgery and laser proctology.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Arrhythmia surgery

-
Image
  Arrhythmia surgery is a medical procedure performed to treat irregular heartbeats, also known as arrhythmias. These abnormal heart rhythms can cause symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, and even chest pain. If left untreated, they can lead to serious complications, such as stroke or heart failure. Arrhythmia surgery is usually recommended when medication and other non-invasive treatments fail to control the irregular heartbeats. The procedure involves the use of various techniques to destroy or modify the abnormal electrical pathways in the heart. Some of the techniques used in arrhythmia surgery include catheter ablation, maze procedure, and implantable devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which a thin, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted through a vein in the groin and threaded up to the heart. Once in the heart, the catheter is used to deliver energy (such as radiofrequency or cryotherapy)...
Read more

CANCER AND MENTAL HEALTH- IT DOESN’T JUST AFFECT YOUR BODY

-
Image
As far as treatment for cancer goes, with recent technology and advanced methods of treating the disease the procedure has of course become a lot less painful and efficient, decreasing mortality rate by quite a lot as compared to traditional methods of treatment. Doctors now have a better understanding of the causes, symptoms and effects and how to treat their patients accurately. The patients too are always updated and consoled to the best one can, but does it mean that those affected are free of mental and emotional distress? Unfortunately the answer is still a no for this one. Knowing that one has ‘cancer’, irrespective of the sort and the intensity, the word itself has the capability to put a person into deep distress. Feelings of depression, anxiety and fear are very common in such cases. It is a tug of war between life and death and the exhaustion of anticipation is clearly high on a person and their loved ones. No matter how much knowledge and sympathy or compassion one might ge...
Read more

Blood Cancer- Part 2

-
Image
  How is blood cancer diagnosed? A physical examination to check your overall health is often the first step in making a diagnosis. Your doctor will look at your body and lymph nodes, look for signs of infection, and review your medical history. The diagnosis of blood cancer can be made with a variety of tests and procedures. The type of blood cancer that is suspected will dictate what you need. In order to make a diagnosis, your care team may suggest testing and evaluate all of the results with you. Biopsies A biopsy is a procedure that takes cell samples for a pathologist to look at in a lab. A lymph node biopsy, which involves taking a sample of lymph tissue or the entire lymph node, may be required for certain types of blood cancer, such as lymphoma. Certain types of blood cancer can be identified by testing your bone marrow, the place where blood cells are made. A bone marrow aspiration is a method by which a small amount of blood, bone, and bone are taken from either a breast...
Read more