What is colon cancer

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Overview
Colon cancer is defined as a disease that includes the growth of a malignant tumor in the large intestine, medically called the colon, and is called colorectal cancer when uncontrolled proliferation of cells occurs inside the colon or rectum, The colon forms a muscular tube with a length of approximately 1.22 meters, and its importance lies in the absorption of water from the body into the digestive system, in addition to its role in the formation of stool and its delivery to the rectum for disposal. It can be said that the colon includes that area located beyond the small intestine to the rectum from the digestive system.

The colon consists of several parts, as it begins in the ascending colon, which is the part that extends upwards on the right side of the abdomen, then the transverse colon, which extends from the right side of the abdomen to the left side, then The descending colon, which extends down the left side of the abdomen, then the last part, which is the sigmoid colon, which is the part connected to the rectum, and according to A study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2018, that colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer, however, it is one of the diseases that can be prevented, treated and recovered from easily and completely, especially if it is diagnosed in its early stages. early.

Causes of colon cancer
Colon cancer usually appears in the lower parts of the descending colon, sigmoid colon, or rectum, but it may also arise in any part of the colon or rectum, and in general colon cancer arises as a result of the uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the colon, due to the occurrence of A group of mutations (in English: Mutation) in the genetic material inside these cells, which is called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and these cancer cells continue to grow and multiply in the colon or rectum, and in addition to that, these cells may spread To other places in the body, such as the lymph nodes and organs adjacent to the colon, especially the liver or lungs.

Until now, the direct cause of colon cancer is still unknown, but it usually starts from the formation of the so-called polyps, which are small benign gatherings of cells, and it is worth noting that these polyps are very common in people with The elderly, as it is estimated that one out of every four people over the age of 50 has at least one of these polyps. In addition, it should be noted that these polyps in most cases do not cause any health problems, except that they may transform in other cases. into malignant tumors, and this transformation process takes many years, as most cancer cases arise from polyps that have existed from five to fifteen years.

To learn more about the causes of colon cancer, you can read the following article: (Causes of colon cancer).

Colon cancer risk factors
It should be noted that the presence of one of these risk factors does not mean that the person has colon cancer, and the absence of it does not mean that the disease is ruled out and it is worth noting that some of these factors can be controlled, while others cannot be controlled. Among the risk factors that cannot be controlled or prevented, the following can be mentioned:

Having a family history of colon and rectal cancer, ovarian cancer, or breast cancer.
The presence of colonic polyps.
People over 50 years old.
Inflammatory bowel disease, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, two diseases in which chronic inflammation of the intestine occurs.

TRANSLATED FROM:
سرطان القولون والمستقيم
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