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Archive for the ‘Cancer Colon’ Category

The typical colon can hold bacteria and be a host to numerous parasites and toxins. If left alone, these toxins can create an environment that is conducive to cancer. Colon cleansing can effectively remove these bacteria, parasites and toxins so that the colon functions properly. Keeping the colon clear and free of debris can help the body dispose of waste quickly and thus help reduce the chance of cancer.

Colon cleansing can be a great start to a clean and healthy colon. Once you cleanse your colon you need to make dietary changes that will help keep the colon working properly. This includes avoiding processed foods and those with additives as well as increasing the intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

1. Removing bacteria from the colon

Cleansing helps to eliminate the host of bad bacteria that often accumulate in a colon. When waste is not eliminated quickly it can turn putrid and become a breeding ground for bacteria. The bacteria can then be re-absorbed into the system causing health problems and possibly cancer.

2. Removing toxins that accumulate in the colon and are absorbed back into the body

Toxins come from many dietary sources. One of the most common ways is through eating processed foods and those with chemical additives and preservatives. Colon cleansing washes away these toxins to prevent them from remaining in the system where they can cause problems and lead to cancer or other colon disease.

3. Removing mucous buildup

Mucous can build up on the inner lining of the colon. This mucous can make it impossible for nutrients to be properly absorbed through the colon lining. Mucous can also contribute to improper colon function. The colon cannot properly expel waste when thick mucous is blocking it from working well.

4. Removing parasites

The colon can be home to many toxins, bacteria and even parasites. Parasites and their eggs and larvae are often present in the human colon. While this doesn’t pose a problem under normal circumstances for those with weakened immune systems or those with other diseases the parasites can cause disease.

5. Allowing for frequent bowel movements

By quickly eliminating waste from the body it does not stay stagnant allowing toxins and bacteria to build up. Instead, frequent elimination keeps the colon clean and healthy and protects it from waste that stays too long in the system.

The cells in your large intestine are exposed to many types of substances that result from digestion and the activity of micro-organisms. What’s more, the cells have a high turnover rate – your intestinal lining completely replaces its cells every week or so. All this metabolic activity makes the cells particularly vulnerable to damage. In some cases, that damage can result in cancer of the colon or rectum. Not counting skin cancer, colon and rectal cancers are the fourth most common form of cancer. Approximately fifty-six thousand people in the United States will die this year because of the disease, accounting for about 3 percent of all deaths.

While scientists do not know the exact cause of colorectal cancer, we do know that it is among the most preventable forms of cancer, even with people with a positive family history of this disease. Clearly diet plays a huge role. The typical American diet – high in fat, low in fiber from fruits and vegetables – is largely to blame. Fat takes longer to digest than other nutrients. Breaking down fat can cause a kind of residue to form in the intestine. This residue irritates cells and can cause them to become abnormal. What’s more, as I have explained, fat triggers production of bile, and bile acids may further irritate and damage cells. Lack of fiber means all this bad stuff is not able to pass out of the intestine as fast as it should.

Colorectal cancer often begins when a polyp grows on the intestinal lining. A polyp is a mushroom-shaped clump of tissue. Most polyps are harmless, but a small percentage of them can become cancerous. Colorectal cancer may or may not cause symptoms. Your doctor can detect polyps through a procedure called a sigmoidoscopy, which uses a viewing scope to examine the lower part of the intestine, or a colonoscopy, which explores the whole organ. Often the polyp can be removed by snipping if off at the base. However, if many polyps are present, or if some of them appear to be progressing into cancer, it may be necessary to remove a section of the intestine through surgery.

Obviously, preventing colorectal cancer is the best way to go. The best strategy is to eat a healthy diet. Cut down on meat, protein, and animal fat. Avoid meat that has been fried, charcoal-grilled, or cooked at high temperatures; these forms of preparation produce high levels of cancer-causing compounds. Increase fiber intake by eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Foods rich in calcium, vitamin C, and folate appear to offer protection. Calcium is of special interest, because it readily binds with irritants in colon and blocks their ability to stimulate cell proliferation. A recent study found that when people who had had polyps removed supplemented their diet with 1,200 mg of calcium a day, cell growth in the colon returned to normal.

A healthy lifestyle helps too. Drinking more than one or two alcoholic beverages especially beer a day appears to increase the risk, perhaps by encouraging cells to reproduce more rapidly and by damaging the new cells. Cigarette smoking may cause a high risk of polyps; in smokers, polyps are more likely to regrow after they have been removed. People who exercise throughout their lives and who maintain a healthy weight have a lower rate of colorectal cancer. Some evidence suggests that taking aspirin and other NSAIDs or, better yet, natural inhibitors of prostaglandin may help.

 

If you’re over 40 and have rectal bleeding, don’t assume it’s just a case of hemorrhoids. In the presence of other symptoms – such as a change in bowel habits, abdominal cramps or pain, unexplained anemia or weight loss – you could be suffering from colon cancer.

Colon, colorectal, or bowel cancer are the terms used to describe cancer which strikes the colon, rectum, or  both. These account for about 20 percent of deaths in the United States. Over a hundred thousand Americans have the disease and almost 50,000 die from it yearly.

What are your chances of developing colon cancer? The risk greatly increases after the age of 50, more so if you have a family history of the disease or a history of colon polyps or ulcerative colitis. A high-fat diet and lack of fiber has also been implicated in the disease.

“Although the precise cause of colon cancer is unknown, some studies suggest that diet plays an important role. It has been suggested that the higher proportion of animal fat in our diet may account for the large amount of colorectal cancer in the United States compared with countries such as Japan where the dietary emphasis is on vegetables, poultry and fish,” according to Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the “Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.”

Except in those with no symptoms, colon cancer sends out warning signals which should be brought to a doctor’s attention. These include a change in the size and shape of the stool and rectal bleeding.

Sadly, these signals are often ignored or mistaken for something else. This was revealed by Drs. Adriano V. Laudico, Divina B. Esteban, Corazon A. Ngelangel, and Lilia M. Reyes in the “Cancer Facts and Estimates.”

“The mistaken obsession of our physicians with amebiasis and other forms of inflammatory bowel diseases had for decades been a major factor that had delayed diagnosis of colon cancer. The wider availability of antidiarrheals, antibiotics, and amoebecides may have worsened the situation. Too many physicians still insist on giving vitamin preparations and hematinics for chronic unexplained weight loss and anemia,” they said.

What should you do then? If you experience any of the above symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible. A rectal examination will confirm the presence of suspicious lesions in the lower part of the rectum. This should be done yearly in people over 40. (Next: Screening procedures for colon cancer.)

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