Connected health information

Explore this condition in a clear order

1. Attributes 2. Signs & symptoms 3. Drugs / medications 4. Treatments by type 5. Further tests / investigations 6. Biological / test markers

Condition overview

Attributes

Commonalityis common

Incidenceis approximately 1 in 1,721 people

Linked signs and symptoms

27

Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.

Linked drugs / medications

6

Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.

Treatments, therapies and supportive options

49

Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.

Medical procedures and investigations

4

Surgery

9

Medical therapy

13

Lifestyle changes

2

Counselling and support

3

Alternative and complementary therapies

4

Alternative medicine

4

Vitamins and minerals

7

Vitamins

2

Minerals

1

Selenium SupplementationWeakly in Favour(Moderate Evidence)

Linked diagnostic tests and investigations

29

These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.

Biological and test markers

30

This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.

Often increased

19

Often decreased

11

Other associated markers

0

No markers in this group.

Introduction / full article

Colorectal Cancer

ID 1847

Colorectal Cancer

The colon is a tube-shaped organ approximately 4 feet in length that performs essential functions such as food digestion, nutrient absorption and concentration and storage of fecal material. Rectum is the last part of the colon. When the cells in the colon multiply abnormally and uncontrollably, the condition is called colon cancer or colorectal cancer if the rectum is involved. ^[1]

Causes

Most colorectal cancers arise from polyps. Risk factors include being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease and positive family history of colon cancer. Those who have or had breast, ovarian or uterine cancer also have increased likelihood to develop colorectal cancer. Some factors implicated in the causation of the disease are obesity, smoking, high fat diet and intake of drugs like estrogen replacement therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. ^{[2] [3]}

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of colorectal cancer include bowel habit changes, blood in the stool, unexplainable weight loss, fatigue, appetite loss, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and vomiting. The bleeding may be occult or hidden and may manifest as iron deficiency anemia thus the person may feel tired frequently and may have pale skin. Aside from bright red blood in the stool, the patient may also notice the stools to appear as ribbon-like and with small caliber. He may also feel that the evacuation is incomplete. ^[3][4]

Diagnosis

After carefully taking the patient’s medical history and performing a thorough physical examination, the patient is subjected to laboratory exams. Blood tests are often requested including complete blood count and organ function tests. Colonoscopy is usually done which entails visual inspection of the colon through a tube that has a camera at the end. Another test called flexible sigmoidoscopy may be employed depending on the area that needs to be seen. Other tests include barium enema, chest X-ray and CT scan. ^[3]

Treatment

Colorectal cancer needs to be staged in order to determine the appropriate treatment. Surgery is recommended for early stages. When there is spread, other mode of treatment like chemotherapy is advised. Radiation therapy is used for cancers that involve the rectum only.^[3]The outlook depends on the extent of the disease. Support from the family and loved ones are highly needed by patients.

References:

1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm

2. http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm

3. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/colon_cancer/page2_em.htm#colon_cancer_causes

http://coloncancer.about.com/od/coloncancerbasics/a/Symptoms-Of-Colon-Cancer.htm

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Vitamin E [1, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help in preventing some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Please note, this acts as a PREVENTATIVE treatment, and not necessarily symptomatic relief. This vitamin can have harmful effects if taken in doses higher than 100% of the recommended daily allowance.

Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Some trials have shown that vitamin E may help lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. However, more research is needed.)