Any food we eat will pass through our oesophagus and into the complex set of tissues and tubes known as the digestive system. It is within this digestive system that the colon exists and a patient that contracts colon cancer is likely to be someone that has a health history or a risk factor that is associated with the disease.

If you regularly suffer from polyps (tiny protruding pieces of tissue) in the colon, or have a family history of colon or rectal cancers then are stand a higher risk of developing colon cancer.

You should know the symptoms of colon cancer and these include vomiting, feeling lethargic, sudden weight loss, frequent pain from passing wind, narrow stools, diarrhoea or blood in your stools.

Ask your doctor if you can have a Sigmoidoscopy treatment as this can look inside the colon for polyps and there is a medical instrument that can remove these. The more common procedure is a colonoscopy. If treated early, all the cancerous polyps can be removed and a patient should be able to lead a normal life, although there are certain to be some lifestyle changes demanded by your doctor.

When the polyps are removed they are tested under the microscope to determine whether they are cancerous or not. Once a positive diagnosis has been determined your medical procedure will then check to see that the cancer has not spread to any other part of the body.

Colon cancer, like most cancers, can only be spread by the blood, tissues or the lymph system. To avoid colon cancer try these few tips: Quit smoking, take an aspirin once every two days, cut down on red meat, stop binge drinking, get more Vitamin D, reduce your waistline, eat more berries, exercise, and get yourself checked out a your local clinic to give yourself the all clear.

What Do Those Diagnosed with Colon Cancer Need?

If a colon cancer patient has had a Colonoscopy and/or a Sigmoidoscopy, the patient will need to have regular checks to determine that there is no cancerous activity spreading. It is also a good idea to have your doctor or nutritionist give you a diet plan that will change the way your colon behaves. A diet rich in berries and one with a reduction in red meat will go a long way to helping your colon from becoming more cancerous.

A colon cancer patient will also need to be referred urgently if rectal bleeding with a change of bowel habits persists for more than six weeks.