Colon Cancer

There are several types of colon cancer.

• Colon cancer usually develops from polyps. These are benign growths on the lining of the colon.
• Over the years, these polyps can become malignant, in which case we refer to it as colon cancer.

Often, you won't have any symptoms at first. The main symptoms are:

• Blood and/or mucus in the stool;
• A change in bowel habits.

In addition, you may also experience:

• Stomachache;
• Anemia
• To be pale
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased appetite;
• Weight loss;
• False urge to defecate.
  • You feel like you need to go to the bathroom, but nothing comes out.

Often, there are no symptoms, and this form of cancer is detected through an abnormal test result during a population-based screening program.

In about 1 in 20 cases, colon cancer is caused by a hereditary condition. This is referred to as hereditary colon cancer.


In most cases, the exact cause of colon cancer is not fully understood. We do know, however, that several factors increase the risk of colon cancer:

• Age:
  • The older you are, the greater the chance.
• Colon cancer in your immediate family:
  • Your father, mother, sisters, brothers, or child has (had) the disease.
• An existing intestinal disease, such as:
  • Crohn's disease;
  • Ulcerative colitis.
• An unhealthy lifestyle:
  • A diet high in red or processed meat and low in fiber (fruits and vegetables);
  • Alcohol;
  • Smoking;
  • Overweight;
  • Not enough exercise.

To rule out a colon tumor, your primary care physician will refer you for a colon examination (colonoscopy).

• Under local or general anesthesia, a doctor inserts a tube with a camera into your colon through your anus.
• The doctor will examine your entire intestine.
• Does the doctor see any suspicious injuries?
  • Then he takes a biopsy.
  • He then removes a small sample of the lesion for further examination under a microscope.
• Does the doctor see polyps?
  • Then he takes them all away to have them examined.

If, for some reason, a colonoscopy cannot be performed, the doctor will perform a CT colonography. This is a scan of your entire colon.


Is the doctor certain of the diagnosis? If so, he will check for metastases by performing a scan; this may be a CT scan, but sometimes an MRI or a PET scan is used as well.


Based on all of these tests, the doctor then determines what stage the cancer is in. This is important information for choosing a treatment.

Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. To make decisions about your treatment, your doctor will work with various colleagues as part of a multidisciplinary team.


Is the tumor confined to your intestine, and are there no metastases elsewhere in your body?

• The doctor will then refer the patient to a surgeon to have a section of the intestine removed.
• After the procedure, the removed section of intestine and the lymph nodes are examined. This is done to determine:
  • Whether the tumor was completely removed;
  • How aggressive the tumor is;
  • Whether there are any affected glands.
• Are all these factors favorable? If so, no further treatment is necessary.

Does the doctor actually detect metastases (usually in the liver, lungs, and/or abdominal cavity)?

• In that case, there are several treatment options available:
  • Treatment usually consists of chemotherapy.
  • Sometimes the metastases are also surgically removed;
  • Radiation therapy may sometimes also be part of the treatment

Advanced colon tumors can sometimes block your intestinal tract.

• That's what we call an obstruction.
• In that case, emergency surgery is usually performed.