Colon Cancer II
Topics:
Cancer of the colon or rectum is also called colorectal cancer. In the United States, it is the fourth most common cancer in men and women. Caught early, it is often curable.
It is more common in people over 50, and the risk increases with age. Symptoms can include blood in the stool, narrower stools, a change in bowel habits and general stomach discomfort. However, you may not have symptoms at first, so screening is important. Everyone who is 50 or older should be screened for colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy is one method that your doctor can use to screen for colorectal cancer. Treatments for colorectal cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination.
Source: NIH: National Cancer Institute
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colorectalcancer.html
Key Point 1
While screening for colon cancer is effective, it is not 100%. Paying attention to symptoms and changes in your body, can help make a diagnosis of colon cancer earlier.
Key Point 2
Treatment of colon cancer should involve a multi-disciplinary approach. Treatment is effective, but knowing who is at risk and following preventative and screening steps is key.
Webisode
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Conduct an off-site search for Colon Cancer from MedlinePlus. These up-to-date search results are based on search terms specific to Second Opinion Key Points.
Resources
There are a very large number of organizations and websites dedicated to Colon Cancer. This is only a partial list.
PubMed Health: PubMed Health is a service provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
The University of Rochester Medical Center: One of the nation's top academic medical centers, the University of Rochester Medical Center forms the centerpiece of the University's health research, teaching, patient care, and community outreach missions.
Rolling to Recovery: Is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education of colorectal cancer in younger people.
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