Presentation
In general: right sided tumors are larger and present with a mass, distant disease or iron deficiency anemia left sided tumors present earlier with altered bowel habit Colorectal cancers, 98% of which are adenocarcinomas, arise in the vast majority of [radiopaedia.org]
The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure must be made by the physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient. [fascrs.org]
After the colonoscopy, the specialist may conduct further tests to find out whether cancer is present and, if it is, its stage of development and if it has spread. [cancerpathways.org.au]
Colorectal cancer may not present any symptoms, especially in the early stages. [healthline.com]
(fatigue, weight loss) or none at all More advanced disease: Abdominal tenderness, macroscopic rectal bleeding, palpable abdominal mass, hepatomegaly, ascites See Presentation for more detail. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Entire Body System
- Anemia
In general: right sided tumors are larger and present with a mass, distant disease or iron deficiency anemia left sided tumors present earlier with altered bowel habit Colorectal cancers, 98% of which are adenocarcinomas, arise in the vast majority of [radiopaedia.org]
Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal Prostate Cancer Early Detection NCCN GUIDELINES FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolic Disease Hematopoietic Growth Factors NCCN Guidelines Management of Cancer- and Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia [nccn.org]
[…] loose and narrow stools rectal bleeding or blood in the stool abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, or gas pain during bowel movements continual urges to defecate weakness and fatigue unexplained weight loss irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) iron deficiency anemia [medicalnewstoday.com]
Once cancer is diagnosed, doctors usually do an abdominal CT scan, chest x-ray, and routine laboratory tests to look for cancer that has spread, to detect a low blood count (anemia), and to evaluate the person’s overall condition. [msdmanuals.com]
Other common clinical presentations include the following: Iron-deficiency anemia Rectal bleeding Abdominal pain Change in bowel habits Intestinal obstruction or perforation Physical findings may include the following: Early disease: Nonspecific findings [emedicine.medscape.com]
- Pathologist
Pai is a pathologist at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, with an interest in gastrointestinal pathology and hepatobiliary pathology. He's also a professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. [mayo.edu]
If polyps are found in the colon, they are removed and sent to a pathologist for biopsy, an examination under a microscope that detects cancerous or precancerous cells. [medicalnewstoday.com]
A pathologist views the lymph node tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells. This may be done during surgery or by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy. [cancer.gov]
Molecular Biomarkers for the Evaluation of Colorectal Cancer: Guideline From the American Society for Clinical Pathology, College of American Pathologists, Association for Molecular Pathology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. [emedicine.medscape.com]
- Falling
Epidemiology The incidence and mortality from colon cancer have been on a slow decline over the past several decades in the United States, with the incidence falling on average 2.4% each year and death rates falling on average 2.2% each year over 2007 [emedicine.medscape.com]
Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal Pain
Ongoing pelvic or lower abdominal pain (e.g., gas, bloating or pain). Unexplained weight loss. Nausea or vomiting. Feeling tired all the time. Abdominal pain and weight loss are typically late symptoms, indicating possible extensive disease. [fascrs.org]
Symptoms include: Bleeding from the bottom Blood in stools A change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeks Unexplained weight loss Extreme, unexplained tiredness Abdominal pain Most cases have no clear cause, however, people are more at risk if [dailymail.co.uk]
If you have blood in your faeces, a change in bowel habit, an unexplained abdominal pain or mass, or unexplained weight loss, tell your general practitioner (GP) as soon as possible. [cancerpathways.org.au]
The person may seek medical treatment because of crampy abdominal pain or severe abdominal pain and constipation. [msdmanuals.com]
If you do experience symptoms during the early stages, they may include: constipation diarrhea changes in stool color changes in stool shape, such as narrowed stool blood in the stool bleeding from the rectum excessive gas abdominal cramps abdominal pain [healthline.com]
- Abdominal Cramps
If you do experience symptoms during the early stages, they may include: constipation diarrhea changes in stool color changes in stool shape, such as narrowed stool blood in the stool bleeding from the rectum excessive gas abdominal cramps abdominal pain [healthline.com]
- Lower Abdominal Pain
Ongoing pelvic or lower abdominal pain (e.g., gas, bloating or pain). Unexplained weight loss. Nausea or vomiting. Feeling tired all the time. Abdominal pain and weight loss are typically late symptoms, indicating possible extensive disease. [fascrs.org]
Liver, Gall & Pancreas
- Jaundice
[…] excessive fatigue unexplained weakness unintentional weight loss changes in your stool that last longer than a month feeling like your bowels don’t completely empty vomiting If colon cancer spreads to other parts of your body, you may also experience: jaundice [healthline.com]
Neurologic
- Headache
[…] last longer than a month feeling like your bowels don’t completely empty vomiting If colon cancer spreads to other parts of your body, you may also experience: jaundice (yellow eyes and skin) swelling in hands or feet breathing difficulties chronic headaches [healthline.com]
- Stroke
On top of raising the risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke and emphysema, smoking is a major cause of at least 14 different cancers, including colon cancer. [siteman.wustl.edu]
Workup
[…] the abdomen and liver Abdominal/pelvic MRI Positron emission tomography, including fusion PET-CT scan Other procedures that may be warranted include the following: Colonoscopy Sigmoidoscopy Biopsy of suspicious lesions Double-contrast barium enema See Workup [emedicine.medscape.com]
Treatment
In some cases more than one type of treatment may be used to get the best outcome. Treatment options: Surgery Surgery is the most common treatment for bowel cancer. [cancerpathways.org.au]
Radiotherapy can be used as a standalone treatment to shrink a tumor or destroy cancer cells, or alongside other cancer treatments. Radiation treatments are not often used until a later stage. [medicalnewstoday.com]
Treatment Options for Colon Cancer For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section. [cancer.gov]
Follow-up care after treatment for colorectal cancer is important. Even when the cancer appears to have been completely removed or destroyed, the disease may recur. Undetected cancer cells can remain in the body after treatment. [fascrs.org]
The NCCN Templates are not exhaustive and do not represent the full spectrum of care or treatment options described in the NCCN Guidelines or the NCCN Compendium or include all appropriate approaches or combinations of drugs or biologics for the treatment [nccn.org]
Prognosis
Overall 5 year survival rate is 40-50%, with the stage at operation the single most important factor affecting prognosis. [radiopaedia.org]
In the vast majority of cases metastasis are metachronous diagnosed during the study of metrorrhagia (4) and are associated with a poor prognosis. Differential diagnosis includes, among others, the primary neoplasm of vagina (7). [scielo.isciii.es]
POST-TREATMENT PROGNOSIS Patient outcome is strongly associated with colorectal cancer stage at the time of diagnosis. Cancer confined to the lining of the colon is associated with the highest likelihood of success. [fascrs.org]
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options. [cancer.gov]
A cancer's stage will determine the treatment options and inform the prognosis, or the likely course the cancer will take. [medicalnewstoday.com]
Etiology
The registry identifies colorectal cancer susceptibility genes, analyzes gene interactions in colorectal cancer etiology, conducts ongoing molecular characterization of participants, and translates research findings to better colorectal cancer prevention [mayo.edu]
It is a multifactorial disease process, with etiology encompassing genetic factors, environmental exposures (including diet), and inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Epidemiology
The latest study of meat and bowel cancer, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. [dailymail.co.uk]
For the new study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, experts examined data from 475,581 people aged 40 to 69 at the start of the study and followed them for an average of 5.7 years. [scotsman.com]
[…] colorectal neoplasia and serum triglycerides and/or plasma glucose might involve luminal or circulatory effects: (a) triglycerides and/or glucose may be associated with fecal bile acids, acids which are positively associated with colorectal cancer risk in epidemiological [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The Colon Cancer Family Registry at Mayo Clinic is part of an international research consortium for investigators who conduct population-based and clinic-based interdisciplinary studies on the genetic and molecular epidemiology of colorectal cancer and [mayo.edu]
However, most of these studies were retrospective epidemiologic studies and have yet to be validated in prospective, placebo-controlled, interventional trials. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology Genetically, colorectal cancer represents a complex disease, and genetic alterations are often associated with progression from premalignant lesion (adenoma) to invasive adenocarcinoma. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Prevention
[…] and early detection of cervical cancer: American Cancer Society, American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and American Society for Clinical Pathology screening guidelines for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. [nccn.org]
PREVENTION Colorectal cancer is preventable. Nearly all cases of colorectal cancer develop from polyps. They start in the inner lining of the colon and most often affect the left side of the colon. [fascrs.org]
A central goal of the Colon Cancer Family Registry is the translation of colorectal cancer research to the clinical and prevention settings for the benefit of registry participants and the general public. [mayo.edu]
diagnosis and treatment. • Website: www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/bca Cancer Australia Information on cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care for Australians affected by cancer, and their families and carers • Telephone [cancerpathways.org.au]
Other Important Risk Factors for Colon Cancer Though colon cancer is very preventable, there are still a number of important risk factors that people can’t control. [siteman.wustl.edu]