Colorectal cancer is a multifactorial disease. It is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer, and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The adult large intestine includes the colon, rectum, and anal canal. The colon can be divided into the right colon (cecum, ascending colon, and right 2/3 transverse colon) and left colon (left 1/3 transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon). The pathological histological types mainly include papillary adenocarcinoma, tubular adenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and carcinoid carcinoma. Adenocarcinoma has the highest incidence, accounting for more than 90% (colon cancer). CRC spreads and metastasizes mainly throughfour pathways-Local invasion; Lymphatic metastasis; Hematogenous metastasis; Implantation and metastasis.

SYMPTOMS: 

Blood in stool, mucus blood stool, or jam-like stool may appear when there is a lot of blood in the stool. Intestinal obstruction, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion. Abdominal mass usually occurs in the right colon cancer; this symptom is a mass enlargement to a certain extent, palpable abdominal mass. With the progression of disease, systemic symptoms are visible, cachexia, anemia, emaciation, and other symptoms.

LET’s DISCUSS THE RISK FACTORS:  A risk factor is anything that raises your chances of getting a disease such as cancer. Risk factors for colorectal cancer include age, family history, diet, lifestyle, and other factors.

ALCOHOL: Colorectal cancer has been linked to moderate to heavy alcohol use. Even light-to-moderate alcohol intake has been associated with some risk. It is best not to drink alcohol.

SMOKING: Smoking tobacco also increases the risk for people to develop colon polyps.

OBESITY: Being overweight raises the risk of colorectal cancer in people, but the link seems to be stronger in men.

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: IBD is a condition in which the colon is inflamed over a long period of time. People who have had IBD for many years, especially if untreated, often develop dysplasia. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), includes ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, increases risk of colorectal cancer.

FAMILY HISTORY OF COLORECTAL CANCER: People with a history of colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) are at increased risk.Having family members who have had adenomatous polyps is also linked to a higher risk of colon cancer.

AGE:  The risk of colorectal cancer goes up as we age, it’s much more common after age 50.

PROCESSED MEAT: There is a huge variety of processed meat products and it is not easy to sort them by categories, but parameters involved in the making of these foods are curing (adding salt and other additives), drying, smoking, cooking and packaging Processed meat intake may be involved in the etiology of colorectal cancer.

BEING OVERWEIGHT: Being overweight raises the risk of colorectal cancer in people, but the link seems to be stronger in men. 

DIABETES: People suffering Diabetes Mellitus type 2 have higher risk of being diagnosed with Colo-Rectal Carcinoma.

SYNDROMES: people who develop colorectal cancer have inherited gene changes (mutations) that cause family cancer syndromes. The most common inherited syndromes linked with colorectal cancers are Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer) and familial adenomatous polyposis.

ABDOMINOPELVIC RADIATION: History of receiving radiotherapy at abdomino-pelvic region increases the risk of being diagnosed with Colo-Rectal Cancer.

“When we summarize the folds of risk factors related to Colo-Rectal Cancer, we find few factors that can be worked out.”

The takeaway points would be

·        Diet: A complete balanced nutritious platter is the first step.

·         Lifestyle Management: Being overweight or obese, not getting regular exercise. So, keep moving,  perform yogasanas,  visit gymnasium, play outdoor games -one of the easy picks.

·         Avoid Addiction: Drinking alcohol, and Smoking.