Colon Cancer Basics
The American Cancer Society named colon cancer the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the U.S. Over 145,000 Americans are diagnosed annually. Approximately 60,000 are over 50, and ½ of those could have avoided cancer with testing.
In the average adult, the colon is 27 feet long, 22 feet in the small intestine and 5 feet in the large. It digests food and absorbs nutrients. Colon cancer does not begin as cancer but as painless sores in the lining of the colon. The most common sores are polyps, or abnormal growths of tissue. Many are benign, but those over 2 cm have potential of becoming malignant.
(more…)
Comments Off