INTRODUCTION: Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and the leading cause of cancer deaths among non-smokers.

It is, in nearly all cases, a treatable disease when it is caught early. The truth is when colon cancer is caught early, it has a 95% survival rate. It may be nutritionally based. For example, the occurence of colon cancer is much higher in North America than in China, but the Chinese who migrate to North America gain 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 searching for markers in blood, stool or urine that might provide an easier screening tool to early signs of colon cancer. In general, when treated at an early stage, more than 90% 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 vary depending on the location of the cancer within the colon or rectum, though there may be no symptoms at all. Symptoms of colon cancer can include severe abdominal pain, blood in the stool or rectal bleeding, unexplained loss of weight, or major changes in bowel habits (recurrent constipation or diarrhea).

In fact, the most common sign is no signs at all, says Emina Huang, MD. But once these symptoms start to develop, it may be a signal of more advanced disease. Fully half of people diagnosed after symptoms start will die. Finding colon cancer before symptoms develop greatly improves the chance of survival.

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

It has been well demonstrated that if colon cancer is caught in the earliest stages, the cure rate could be increased to 90%.

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