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by: RichardHEalom
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INTRODUCTION: Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine also known as the colon, the lower part of your digestive system. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, and the leading cause of deaths from cancer among non-smokers.

It is, in almost all cases, a treatable disease IF caught early. Truth: When colon cancer is caught early, it has a 95 percent survival rate. It may be nutritionally based. For example, the incidence is much higher in North America than in China, and the Chinese who migrate to North America have a higher incidence.

EARLY: The majority of colorectal cancers are predictable with early diagnosis and screening. In fact, screening prevents more deaths because of early detection than breast or prostate cancer screening. Other ongoing research is looking at multiple genes involved in colorectal cancer as well as improving screening methods so more cancers can be detected early.

This includes looking for markers in blood, stool or urine that might provide an easier screening method to detect early signs of colon cancer. In general, when treatment starts at an early stage, more than 90 percent of patients survive at least 5 years after their diagnosis. However, only about 39% of colon cancer is found at an early stage.

SYMPTOMS: Symptoms may vary depending on where the cancer is located within the colon or rectum, although there may be no symptoms at all. Signs of colorectal cancer may include severe abdominal pain, blood in the stool or rectal bleeding, loss of weight for unknown reasons, or major changes in bowel habits (recurrent constipation and/or diarrhea).

In fact, the most common symptom is no symptoms at all, says Emina Huang, MD. But once these symptoms begin to develop, it may be a sign of more advanced disease. Half of people diagnosed after symptoms develop will die. Finding colorectal cancer before symptoms develop dramatically improves the chance of survival.

CONCLUSION: There is no question that the earlier the cancer is found, the more likely the patient can be cured with surgery. Although the cause is yet unknown, there is evidence that the majority of these cancers arise from polyps (benign intestinal tumors).

It has been well demonstrated that if colon cancer is found in the earliest stages, the cure rate could be improved to 90 percent.