The colon is the end part of the digestive system and also is also the largest part of the large intestine. *(¿Es cierto? Lo invetigué un poco pero dime si es correcto.) It is responsible for many intestinal symptoms such as abdominal bloating, rectal bleeding, diarrhea and constipation.
The most common diseases of the colon are: Colitis * (No sé si hay otra forma de decir colitis nerviosa en inglés porque yo descubrí que normalmente “colitis nerviosa” normalmente se dice simplemente “colitis” , diverticulum of the colon, diarrhea, constipation and colon cancer.
The main symptoms of colon cancer are in relation to how the disease evolves and can include bowel movement habits such as constipation, diarrhea or a change in the consistency of the feces. Rectal bleeding can be cold (?*) (¿Fresco quiere decir frío o algo diferente?) and mucus-like. There can also be abdominal pain as well as weight loss.
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Mucus in the feces
• General malaise
• Weight loss
• Rectal bleeding
Colon cancer is the formation of a neoplasm or tumor in any part of the large intestine that starts small even millimeters in size and can grow until it reaches complete occlusion of a part of the large intestine. The main type of colon cancer is called colon adenocarcinoma. The main location for colon cancer is the left colon.
The main risk factors for colon cancer are: smoking and tobacco use, consumption of processed and smoked foods, obesity and being overweight, chronic alcohol consumption, constipation, colon polyps.
The symptoms can vary a lot but the main ones are a change in bowel movement habits, either diarrhea or constipation, the feeling of abdominal bloating and in severe cases, even intestinal obstruction, unexplainable weight loss and rectal bleeding.
There are multiple studies in diagnosing colon cancer, among the main ones are an abdominal CAT scan, a colon tomography and a colonoscopy, which involves observing the interior of the intestine with a camera.
The treatment is based on performing a surgery to remove the segment of the large intestine where the colon cancer is. Depending on the stage of the colon cancer, in addition to surgical treatment, chemotherapy might also be recommended.