Informative Essay On Colon Cancer

The worst thing a person can hear is that they have cancer. The worst thing a person’s family can hear is that their loved one will have to endure some of the worst pain imaginable. The person they love will have to go through chemotherapy and have to have surgery for the sake of their being. The worst part about cancer is that a person can do everything to fight and still lose their battle. Unfortunately, my grandfather did in August of 2014 after surviving colon cancer once and it coming back everywhere. The definition of colon cancer is cancer that begins in the colon where there is an abnomality in the cells and they multiply to the point where they are out of control. Eventually when the cells are unhealthy enough they are made to begin

It is about five to seven feet long and has different parts to it. There is the cecum, which is the beginning of the colon. Then there is the ascending colon on the right side of the colon which is in an upward position. The third part of the colon is the transverse colon, which is horizontal across the abdomen. The fourth part of the colon is the descending colon and this is in a downward position. Finally, the last part of the colon before the rectum is the sigmoid where waste is stored until enough of the waste can be eliminated through the rectum and anus. Colon cancer begins in the tissue of the colon and rectum. There are four layers of tissue in the colon and colon cancer typically begins in the epithelial tissue. Most of the time because this tissue is so alike in the colon and the rectum this cancer is also called colorectal cancer. Typically, colorectal cancer begins on what is called a polyp, which is a small tissue growth that is usually benign, but when a polyp increases in size it can cause cancer. Colon cancer grows at a slow pace and typically takes about 10 to 20 years to progress. There are four stages of cancer one being the least serious and four being the worst (Gale, 2012). Symptoms of colon cancer include weakness and fatigue, abdominal gas or pain, blood in the stool, diaherra or constipation, and unexplained weightloss (Mayo Clinic,

As the article from Gale states, the deaths seem fairly high, but deaths from colorectal cancer have been decreasing over the years. This decrease is due to healthier choices being made by society such as making healthier eating choices and giving up cigarettes, screenings through the medical field, and better treatment methods. Most of the deaths from 2011 were from patients with stage IV