Colon+Cancer+DW

Colon Cancer

Genetic Dispositions In several cases scientist have discovered that FAP and HNPCC have been linked to the disease colon caner. The condition FAP is only prevalent when there is a mutation in the APC gene on chromosome 5. APC normally is a tumor suppressant, but the mutation changes things. The mutation in APC causes polyps to form in the colon, and these polyps form by the age of 15. Maybe there should be a mandatory test for all 15 year olds so the polyps can be removed.

Statistics Unfortunately the gene is dominant, so if either parent has it the child has a 50% chance of being effected. With HNPCC the mutations carry a greater risk to have uncontrolled cell growth and cancer. People who inherit the bad APC copy from their parents are practically guaranteed to get colon cancer by age 40. People who have the HNPCC gene have an 80% chance of getting colon cancer. They are also at risk for ovarian, stomach, brain, and liver cancers.

Symptoms

Some very common symptoms include: diarrhea, constipation, blood in stool, vomiting, bloating cramps, and unexplained weight loss. Test Fecal Occult Blood Test Flexible-Sigmoidoscopy Double contrast Barium Enema Colonoscopy DNA-Based Stool Test Treatments The pathway to treatment varies as to how progressed the cancer has become. Doctors diagnose the cancer into stages depending on if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. 90% of colon cancer patients survive usually due to chemotherapy or radiation, which is kill the rapidly dividing cells in the body. Surgeon can also remove the polyps or cancerous part of the colon.