Colon cancer: 5 things to know

There is bad news and good news about colon cancer.
The bad? Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Almost 50,000 people die every year.
The good? Recovery from colon cancer is extremely high if caught early.
This disease often is referred to as colorectal cancer. It’s a term used for cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. These cancers can also be referred to separately as colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start. Colon cancer and rectal cancer have many features in common.

Innovation

This is one more reason why early detection is so crucial with all cancers, particularly, colon cancer.
In the last couple of years, Dr. Janette Gaw, Board Certified General Surgeon with The Colorectal Institute, has been using a procedure called TAMIS – Trans Anal Minimal Invasive Surgery.
Gaw said this procedure can avoid going through the belly, which is more invasive and requires more recovery time. However, she added this is usually done for patients with either polyps or early-stage cancer. 
“In the past, we had been eyeing it,” Gaw said. “Now with our advanced instruments, the images are more magnified. We can see it better and we can take out bigger masses.”
Gaw said colon cancer is 90 percent curable if detected at an early stage. She said the challenge is most people with colon cancers do not have any symptoms.
Gaw also added that even though people with family histories of colon cancer are at higher risk, the majority of people who are diagnosed with colon and rectal cancers do not have a family history.

What did the doctor say?

Dr. Faith Gardner, medical oncologist with Florida Cancer Specialists in Fort Myers, tells us five things patients should know about colon cancer:
1.    Colon cancer, which refers to malignancy in the large intestine, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. for men and women over 50.
2.    Over the past decade, the incidence of colon cancer has dropped substantially in men and women over the age of 50, mostly because of improved screening technologies and more people age 50 and older are getting colonoscopies, which can detect pre-cancerous polyps in the intestine.
3.    The most common types of treatment for colon cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these different modalities. 
4.    As researchers have learned more about gene mutations and protein changes in cells that cause cancer, newer drugs have been developed to target and block these proteins or other pathways in cancer cells to prevent and/or reduce tumor growth.
5.    Eating a healthy diet, low in red meats and high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, combined with maintaining a healthy weight and getting moderate physical activity, can greatly reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

Did you know?
• The colon has four sections — ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid.
• Most colorectal cancers develop slowly over several years. Before a cancer develops, a growth of tissue or tumor usually begins as a non-cancerous polyp on the inner lining of the colon or rectum.
• More than 95 percent of colorectal cancers are a type of cancer known as adenocarcinomas. These cancers start in cells that form glands that make mucus to lubricate the inside of the colon a and rectum. When doctors talk about colorectal cancer, this is almost always what they are referring to.
• Another kind of pre-cancerous condition is called dysplasia. Dysplasia is an area in the lining of the colon or rectum where the cells look abnormal (but not like true cancer cells) when viewed under a microscope. These cells can change into cancer over time. Dysplasia is usually seen in people who have had diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease for many years.
• The death rate (the number of deaths per 100,000 people per year) from colorectal cancer has been dropping in men and women for more than 20 years. While treatment for colorectal cancer has improved over the last several years, screening is also allowing more colorectal cancers to be found earlier when the disease is easier to cure.
Source: American Cancer Society

Statistics
• 49,700: Number of deaths from colon and rectal cancer in 2015 in the U.S.
• 1 million: Number of U.S. survivors of these diseases
• 93,090: Number of people diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015 in the U.S.
• 39,610: Number of people diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2015 in the U.S.
• 1 in 20: Risk of developing colorectal cancer in the U.S.
• 150+: People with colon cancer who have been helped in Southwest Florida this year.
Source: American Cancer Society

Events
Oktoberbreast Music Fest: From noon-7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Miceli’s Restaurant in Matlacha, there will be live bands, a karaoke contest, and auction. This is a fund raising event for From Our Hearts raising funds to pay for screening and treatment of breast cancer.

Lung Cancer Research Council: Third Southwest Florida 5K Run/Walk and Mile of Memories Memorial Walk will be held on Nov. 7 at Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road in Port Charlotte. The 5K Run/Walk will start at 8:15 a.m., followed by the Mile of Memories Memorial walk. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lung Cancer Research Council programs dedicated to saving lives in Southwest Florida. Register online by Nov. 6 at http://swflrunwalk.lcrcinc.org/. Registration by mail is also being accepted until Nov. 1. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, email Info@LCRCinc.org. All participants that register online or by mail will receive an event T-shirt and goody bag.

Our coverage

Throughout October, The News-Press is focusing on the four cancers, which take the most lives — lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancers. In Florida this year, almost 20,000 people are expected to die from these diseases.

In videos, cancer survivors will share their stories and tell how they’ve lived with their disease for years. We also will show advances in innovation, hear what health specialists have to say, pass along information and statistics you may not know and tell you about upcoming events.

We started with breast cancer, then covered lung cancer last week. This installment focuses on colon cancer and we wrap up with prostate cancer.