Colorectal Cancer

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About Colorectal Cancer

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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States. It occurs most often in people who are older than 50. When it is caught in its early stages, it is easily treated and often cured. But because it is usually not discovered early, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States

The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention risk assessment tool can be found at www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu. This site provides risk levels specific to certain cancers as well as great prevention tips.

 

The Great American Health CheckSM is an easy, confidential, online health assessment tool available at www.cancer.org/healthcheck. The tool was developed by the American Cancer Society and is made possible by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company ("MetLife"), with additional support from official sponsors Quest Diagnostics and Bayer AspirinR.

 

Detailed Information about Colorectal Cancer

Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the body; these extra cells grow together and form masses, called tumors. In colorectal cancer, these growths happen in the large intestine (colon and rectum). Cancers of the colon and the rectum are often talked about together as colorectal cancer because they have so much in common.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States. It occurs most often in people who are older than 50. When it is caught in its early stages, it is easily treated and often cured. But because it is usually not discovered early, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States

Colorectal Cancer

Prevention of Colorectal Cancer (MS Word doc)

If you do not have a primary care physician to complete your yearly physical, you may click on this link for Piedmont's physician directory.

The following information is produced and provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It may have changed since it was written. For the most current information, contact the National Cancer Institute via the Internet web site at http://cancer.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/colorectal/Patient/page3

The following guidelines are for people who do not have an increased risk for colorectal cancer. You will need to begin routine screening earlier than age 50 and have it more often if you have a higher risk for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal screening guidelines

Test

Frequency

Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)*

Every year

or

Sigmoidoscopy *

Every 5 years

or

Barium enema

Every 5 years

or

Colonoscopy

Every 10 years

*Some groups recommend combining a yearly FOBT with a sigmoidoscopy every 5 years.

When To Call a Doctor

Call your doctor if you have any symptoms of colorectal cancer, such as:

  • A change in bowel habits.
  • Bleeding from your rectum, including bright red or dark blood in your stools.
  • Constant or frequent diarrhea, constipation, or a feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely.
  • Stools that are narrow (may be as narrow as a pencil).
  • Abdominal pain or problems with gas or bloating.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Constant fatigue.

Because colorectal cancer often does not cause any symptoms, talk with your doctor about screening tests. Screening helps doctors find a certain disease or condition before any symptoms appear. Screening tests for colorectal cancer can find and remove small precancerous growths in the colon and rectum called adenomatous polyps. If these are found and removed early, they cannot turn into cancer.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting refers to a period of time in which your doctor is checking you regularly but not treating you. It is also called observation or surveillance. Watchful waiting is not a reasonable option when you have symptoms of colorectal cancer.

Who To See

Health professionals who can evaluate your symptoms of colorectal cancer include:

  • Family medicine doctors.
  • General practitioners.
  • Gastroenterologists.
  • General surgeons.
  • Internists.
  • Nurse practitioners.
  • Physician assistants.

If your doctor thinks you may have colorectal cancer, he or she may advise you to see a general surgeon or a colon and rectal surgeon. Colorectal cancer is treated by surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists.

To Learn More

CALL

For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions.

WEB SITES AND ORGANIZATIONS

The NCI Web site provides online access to information on cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations that offer support and resources for cancer patients and their families. There are also many other places where people can get materials and information about cancer treatment and services. Local hospitals may have information on local and regional agencies that offer information about finances, getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems associated with cancer treatment.

PUBLICATIONS

The NCI has booklets and other materials for patients, health professionals, and the public. These publications discuss types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with cancer, and clinical trials. Some publications provide information on tests for cancer, cancer causes and prevention, cancer statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI materials on these and other topics may be ordered online or printed directly from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials can also be ordered by telephone from the Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), TTY at 1-800-332-8615.

LIVEHELP

The NCI's LiveHelp service, a program available on several of the Institute's Web sites, provides Internet users with the ability to chat online with an Information Specialist. The service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Information Specialists can help Internet users find information on NCI Web sites and answer questions about cancer.

WRITE

For more information from the NCI, please write to this address:

NCI Public Inquiries Office

Suite 3036A

6116 Executive Boulevard, MSC8322

Bethesda, MD 20892-8322

About PDQ

PDQ IS A COMPREHENSIVE CANCER DATABASE AVAILABLE ON NCI'S WEB SITE.

PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available online at NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for biomedical research.

PDQ CONTAINS CANCER INFORMATION SUMMARIES.

The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions provide current and accurate cancer information.

THE PDQ CANCER INFORMATION SUMMARIES ARE DEVELOPED BY CANCER EXPERTS AND REVIEWED REGULARLY.

Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information becomes available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") indicates the time of the most recent change.

PDQ ALSO CONTAINS INFORMATION ON CLINICAL TRIALS.

Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about new treatments, the risks involved, and how well they do or do not work. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard."

Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available online at NCI's Web site. Descriptions of the trials are available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.

Date Last Modified: 2006-01-04

If you want to know more about cancer and how it is treated, or if you wish to know about clinical trials for your type of cancer, you can call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237, toll free. A trained information specialist can talk with you and answer your questions.