Colon Cancer Prevention Methods

Most people develop colon cancer rather slowly, over one or two years. The 1st stage of development happens when a mass of tissues, growths or polyps (a cluster of benign growths) grow in the colon walls. Polyp type cancers can grow into the wall of the gut, occupy nearby lymph nodes and spread to other organs in the body. This is named "metastatic colon cancer" due to its mobility. In a few cases, the lining of the bowel might be irregular and inflamed, that may also lead to cancer.To stop colon cancer, regular testing is important after the age of 50. Before talking about colon cancer prevention, let's rap a little about what colon cancer is, precisely. Both the bowel and anus are a part of the gut. The 1st part of the gut, which is the esophagus and stomach, breaks down food to be processed into energy. Next, the broken down food travels to the small intestines / bowel, which is a narrow, 20-foot section that continues breaking down food and soaking up almost all of the nutriments. The small intestine then sends the leftover material to the five-foot-long colon (which is also known as "the huge intestine"), where it absorbs salt and water and stores waste.The 1st part of the bowel is the rising colon, which is attached to the small intestines and the appendix on the right side of the stomach. The cross colon runs from a right to the left side of the higher stomach. The descending colon travels downward on the left side and the sigmoid colon is an S-shaped portion that passes food matter down to the lower colon, the final 6 inches of the guts, that may pass food out of the body thru the anal sphincter.Nobody is truly sure what precisely causes a colon cancer cell to develop in the 1st place, or why some experience a colon cancer recurrence, but research commends a selection of life-style, hereditary and environmental components are at play. It could be not possible to fully forestall cancer of the bowel, but the North American Cancer Society announces that catching colon cancer symptoms early through screening tests is the key. Regular colon cancer screening should begin at age fifty for the majority, unless they are in a serious risk class.Every year, people should get a fecal occult blood test, which is done by sending a stool sample. A stool DNA test might also be done at that very same time, since it also uses a stool sample to collect results. Then, each 5 years, patients should get a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which involves a long, flexible tube that checks the last few feet of the gut for colon polyps, and a double-contrast barium enema that uses an xray and dye to test the higher portion of the bowel.A virtual colonoscopy employing a CT scan machine also should be done each five years. A colonoscopy process involves the insertion of a long, flexible tube, light and camera to view the whole colon and should then be done each ten years, or each 5 years if any irregularities have been found during the other screenings. Ultimately, life changes are a crucial way to stop colon cancer. It doesn't need to be said that smoking, indolence and exorbitant alcohol consumption are contributors to many varieties of adversary health conditions.Cancer of the colon prevention involves eating the proper foods, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, onions, potatoes, broccoli, artichokes, celery, beans, peas, multi grain products, berries, cantaloupes, mangoes, persimmons and dried apricots, for example. Limit the quantity of red beef (meat, pork, lamb) and processed meats (hot dogs, luncheon meats ), cooking meats at extremely high temperatures (frying, sauting and barbecuing) and saturated fats.

Source by ezinearticles.com