Essay On Colon Cancer

Colon Cancer Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is a form of cancer that affects the large intestine and rectum. The cancer cells do not die when signaled to do so. Instead, they grow unmonitored. The cancer will grow into more tissue and organs and develop more new cancer cells. In Stage I colon cancer only affects either the colon or the rectum. The cancer cells are found in the epithelial and lamina propria layers, the top layers of the large intestine and rectum. In Stage II, the tumor grows into the muscularis propria, a deeper, thicker layer of the colon. This muscle contracts and forces contents along the intestine. Stage III of colon cancer occurs when the cancer has moved through the muscularis propria into the subserosa, the connective tissue. Stage IV colon cancer entails the tumor progressing out of the colon and into distant organs. These organs include the liver, small intestine, lymph nodes, and in severe cases, the lungs. The symptoms of colon cancer are mostly recognizable. However, when symptoms occur, the cancer is usually spread to other organs …show more content…
Cigarettes are mainly composed of carcinogens, thus encouraging the growth of colon cancer cells. While the contents of cigarettes are known to affect the lungs, recent studies of shown the correlation of cigarettes and colon cancer are increasing, almost to that of cigarettes and lung cancer. Inheritance plays a major role of colon cancer likelihood. Approximately five percent of colon cancer is a result of inheritance. The majority of the five percent are affected by Lynch Syndrome. This syndrome causes a hereditary mutation of the genes, causing colon cancer to develop. If one is affected by Lynch Syndrome, colon cancer is virtually inevitable for him or her. Lynch Syndrome can be recognized by a series of genetic testing. If colon cancer develops, the patient may meet with a genetic counselor to discover the cause of the