About 1 in 5 people in the United States older than 50 have a polyp growing right now. If you have a colonoscopy, it can usually be removed and almost eliminate your risk of getting colorectal cancer from that polyp if you follow up as recommended. You may feel nervous about having a colonoscopy because of the prep needed to clean your colon out or worries about being uncomfortable during the exam.
During the exam, you will either receive medications to put you in a state of twilight sedation or go completely to sleep. If you see blood in your stool , you should definitely see your doctor to get checked. Issues other than cancer can cause blood in the stool, but you should see your doctor to make sure everything is OK. Overall, we have made tremendous strides in treating colorectal cancer.
Most colorectal cancers can be treated with surgery to remove the part of the bowel that has cancer in it. Usually, this can be done without having an ostomy bag , and can often be performed laparoscopically with small incisions. For more advanced cancers, chemotherapy can be helpful after surgery to decrease the risk of it coming back. For rectal cancer, radiation treatment is also sometimes needed. New Patients and Healthcare Professionals can submit an online form by selecting the appropriate buttonbelow.
Existing patients can call Click here for a current list of insurances accepted at Moffitt. Moffit now offers Virtual Visits for patients. If you are eligible for a virtual appointment, our scheduling team will discuss this option further with you. Moffitt Cancer Center is committed to the health and safety of our patients and their families. A secure website for patients to access their medical care at Moffitt. Colorectal Cancer Stages As with all cancers, there are various stages of colon cancer: Stage 0: Abnormal dysplastic cells have been found in the innermost lining mucosa of the colon.
This stage is also known as carcinoma in situ or intramucosal carcinoma, and there is a very small chance these cells have spread, so this stage is not considered to be invasive cancer. Stage I: Cancer has spread to the inside lining of the colon but hasn't spread beyond the colon wall or rectum. Stage II: Cancer has spread through the colon or rectum and may invade surrounding tissue, but no lymph nodes are involved.
Stage III: Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, but not to distant sites. Stage IV: Cancer has spread to other distant parts of the body, such as the liver or the lung. Treatment Surgery is often required to treat colorectal cancer.
In many cases, two or more of these drugs are combined for more effective treatment: 5-Fluorouracil 5-FU : 5-FU is often given together with another chemotherapy drug called leucovorin folinic acid. Capecitabine Xeloda : A chemotherapy drug in pill form, Xeloda changes to 5-FU once it reaches the tumor. Irinotecan Camptosar Oxaliplatin Eloxatin Trifluridine and tipiracil Lonsurf : a combination drug in pill form. Prevention The most important line of defense against colorectal cancer is screening for colorectal cancer.
If you are at average risk of colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that all women and men over the age of 50 undergo one of the following: annual fecal occult blood test flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years double contrast barium enema every five years colonoscopy every 10 years virtual colonoscopy CT colonography every five years stool DNA test every one to three years Any positive screening test should be followed by an appropriate and complete diagnostic evaluation of the colon including a colonoscopy with biopsies, if necessary.
If you are at an increased risk of colorectal cancer or adenomas because of a family history of cancer or polyps, you should follow the above recommendations and also: Begin colorectal screening at age 40, or 10 years before the youngest case of colon cancer in the immediate family, whichever is earlier. Facts to Know The American Cancer Society estimates that about 95, new cases of colon cancer and 39, new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in Combined, these cancers are predicted to cause about 50, deaths during While colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths when men and women are considered together and is the third leading cause of cancer death among women, incidence in the United States has been decreasing, perhaps due to improved screening methods.
The risk of developing colorectal cancer is highest among those with a family history of colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps and those who have inflammatory bowel disease. Except for those with hereditary conditions that may predispose them to developing colorectal cancer relatively early in life, 90 percent of all cases occur after the age of Tumors that grow in the large intestine are called polyps.
A biopsy determines if the polyp is benign not cancerous , precancerous or malignant. Thirty percent to 50 percent of the population has polyps.
Over the course of about 10 years, adenomatous polyps can become cancerous if they are not removed. Undergoing appropriate screening for colorectal cancer can decrease death rates from this cancer by up to 90 percent.
Colorectal cancer screening is designed to detect and remove precancerous polyps adenomas and sessile serrated polyps before they turn into cancer and to diagnose cancer at the earliest stages. About one-third of eligible adults in the United States have never been screened for colorectal cancer. There are now more choices in colorectal cancer screening methods, which may encourage more people to get screened.
If you or a close relative were diagnosed with colon cancer at age 45, then other members of your family should begin screening around age If you have a close relative with colorectal cancer, you should begin screening at the age of 40 or 10 years before the age at which the youngest relative was diagnosed with cancer, whichever is earlier.
Cancer specialists are using more aggressive strategies to make sure cancer does not return after surgery. You may receive both chemotherapy and radiation therapy to increase your chances of a complete cure. These treatments destroy microscopic accumulations of cancer cells that cannot be seen or removed during surgery.
Once the cancer is larger and has spread to lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate drops to 53 to 89 percent depending on the number of nodes involved If the cancer has already spread to distant parts of the body such as the liver or lungs, the five-year survival rate goes down to 11 percent.
You may be able to reduce your risk for colorectal cancer by eating a diet high in fiber and low in fat, getting plenty of exercise, limiting your alcohol intake to one drink or less a day, losing weight if you are obese, taking calcium and having regular colorectal cancer screenings. Questions to Ask Review the following Questions to Ask about colon cancer so you're prepared to discuss this important health issue with your health care professional.
How can I reduce my risk for colorectal cancer? Are there signs of colorectal cancer that I should be aware of? What exams or tests will you do during my regular physical to screen for colorectal cancer? Which colon cancer screening option is best for me? Would you consider non-invasive testing options for me?
If you are diagnosed with colorectal cancer: What is the "stage" of my cancer? What does that mean? What does it tell me about how severe my cancer is? Will treatment be needed before I have surgery? How long will I be in the hospital? If I'm in pain, what medication will you give me to make me feel better? Will I need more treatment after surgery? If I need chemotherapy after surgery, how soon after my surgery would I start?
What kind of chemotherapy is used for colon cancer? When is radiation therapy used for colon cancer? What are these and how will they be treated? Colorectal polyps are excess growths of tissue in the lining of your colon or rectum.
They can be noncancerous hyperplastic , precancerous adenomas or sessile serrated polyps or malignant cancerous. All colorectal cancers develop from precancerous polyps. Therefore, if these precancerous polyps are removed during colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, they will no longer be able to grow into cancer. Most colorectal polyps are easily removed during colonoscopy without the need for surgery. Once you have polyps, you are at increased risk for developing more polyps in the future and need repeated screening to detect and remove them.
My father and grandmother both had colon cancer. What are my risks and what should I do? First, realize the disease is highly curable when diagnosed early. When the cancer spreads to other distant places like the lung or liver, however, the survival rate is less than 10 percent. A family history of colon cancer or adenomatous polyps significantly increases your chances of developing the disease, and the more family members you have with colon cancer, the higher your risk.
Make an appointment with your health care professional now to discuss your personal and family health history and to determine the next steps you should take. You will need to have colorectal cancer screening starting at the age of 40 or 10 years before the age at which the youngest relative was diagnosed with cancer, whichever is earlier.
You will probably have regular surveillance of your colon by colonoscopy. Is there any way to reduce my risks for colon cancer? Most important is to ask your health care professional about colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 50 45 for African Americans if you are at average risk or earlier if you have family members such as your father, mother, sister or brother who had colorectal polyps or cancer. If you undergo appropriate screening for colorectal cancer, you may decrease your risk of death from colorectal cancer by 90 percent.
This is because physicians can detect and remove precancerous polyps before they turn into cancer, most effectively by colonoscopy. Talk to your health care provider about choosing the screening option that is best for you. Research increasingly suggests that a diet high in fiber, fruits and vegetables and low in fat may help reduce your risk for colon cancer. Losing weight if you are obese may decrease your risk of colorectal cancer.
Taking calcium and vitamin D may prevent formation of precancerous polyps and colon cancer. And getting regular exercise may help, too.
Which method of screening for colon cancer is best for me? There are many factors that can influence this choice, and you and your health care provider will want to make the decision together. The U. From age 76 to 85, screening is an individual decision, factoring in your overall health and screening history. Studies have shown that no screening method is decidedly more effective than others—they all have strengths and limitations. The USPSTF encourages health care providers to talk with their patients about what screening strategy they are most likely to complete.
This can depend on your personal preferences, as well as access to the various methods. For example, colonoscopy requires a significant commitment over a short time to complete the preparation, procedure and recovery, but the time between screenings is greater than with stool-based screening. Stool-based screening is quick, noninvasive and can be done at home, but it requires you to handle your feces to send them to the lab. Flexible sigmoidoscopy combined with annual fecal immunochemical test may appeal if you want the reassurance from endoscopic screening but want to avoid colonoscopy.
The best method for you is the one you and your health care provider select. My health care professional told me my cancer had metastasized and that I had a "met" in another place besides the colon. Any time your health care professional uses a word you don't understand, stop him or her right there and ask what that word means. What are my chances of a cure? No one really knows if cancer is totally cured. But it is sometimes pushed back so far it never grows again, which is called achieving remission or long-term survival.
Your chances of surviving for a long time largely depend on the stage of your cancer at the time of diagnosis and the success of treatments you receive. Your doctor can tell you more about the kind you have. The most common kind is called adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer starts in the cells that make mucus to cover the inside of the colon and rectum. Sometimes colon or rectal cancer is found before it causes symptoms. This can happen with screening tests like a colonoscopy or a stool test you can do from home.
Sometimes, these tests can even prevent colorectal cancer by finding polyps before they become cancer. If you are having signs or symptoms of colorectal cancer, such as changes in your poop, bleeding, or belly pain, the doctor will ask you questions about your health and do a physical and rectal exam. If signs are pointing to cancer, more tests will be done. Here are some of the tests you may need :. Colonoscopy: A colonoscopy is a test where a thin tube with a light on the end called a colonoscope is put through the anus, into the rectum and colon to look closely at the inside.
If any abnormal lump mass or polyp is found, a piece of it can be taken a biopsy and checked in the lab for cancer cells. CT scans can also be used to help doctors do a biopsy and can show if the cancer has spread.
Ultrasound: For this test, a small wand is moved around on your skin. It gives off sound waves and picks up the echoes as they bounce off tissues. The echoes are made into a picture on a computer screen. MRI scan: This test uses radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays to make detailed pictures. MRI scans are helpful for looking at the liver and the brain and spinal cord.
Blood tests: Certain blood tests can tell the doctor more about your overall health. These scans can also help show if the cancer has spread. Biopsy: During a biopsy, the doctor takes out a small piece of tissue where the cancer seems to be. The tissue is checked for cancer cells. This is the best way to know if you have cancer. Knowing which genes or proteins your cancer has can help the doctor decide if treatments like targeted therapy or immunotherapy might help.
If you have colon or rectal cancer, the doctor will want to find out how far it has spread. This is called staging. Your doctor will want to find out the stage of your cancer to help decide what type of treatment is best for you.
The stage describes the growth or spread of the cancer through the layers of the wall of the colon or rectum. It also tells if the cancer has spread to nearby organs or to organs farther away. Your cancer can be stage 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The lower the number, the less the cancer has spread.
A higher number, like stage 4, means a more serious cancer that has spread far from the colon or rectum. Be sure to ask the doctor about your cancer stage and what it means for you.
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