Cancer Colorectal

Colorectal cancer or cancer of the colon or rectum is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States today affecting both men and women. There are about 160 000 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the U.S. each year with most cases occurring in people over 60 years of age. The tumor is extremely slow-growing taking 10 to 20 years to become malignant.

Signs and Symptoms

Colorectal cancer is often accompanied by the following signs and symptoms.

• Change in usual bowel habits with less stool
• Bleeding from the rectum
• Abdominal swelling or pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Anemia and loss of strength

What Causes It?

A poor diet (high in fats and low in fiber) the environment and genetics are considered likely causes of colorectal cancer.

Who's Most At Risk?

The following risk factors increase a person's chances of developing colorectal cancer.

• Age—Colorectal cancer most commonly affects people 50 years and older with the risk increasing with age.
• Lifestyle habits—A diet high in fat and low in fiber alcohol use and current or past smoking.
• Polyps—These benign precancerous growths on the inner wall of the colon and rectum can become cancerous if not removed.
• Personal medical history of certain cancers—Women with a history of cancer of the ovary uterus or breast have a somewhat increased risk. Also a person who has already had colorectal cancer may develop it a second time.
• Family medical history of colorectal cancer—First-degree relatives of a person who has had colorectal cancer are somewhat more likely to develop this disease particularly if many family members have had it.
• Ulcerative colitis—Having this condition in which the lining of the colon becomes inflamed may increase a person's risk.

What to Expect at Your Provider's Office

Whether or not you are in a high-risk group if you are experiencing symptoms associated with colorectal cancer you should see your health care provider for an exam. While patients often find the exam uncomfortable or even embarrassing it is essential for diagnosing and treating this disease. Laboratory tests may be done on your blood or stool and if you are diagnosed with colorectal cancer you may be sent for a CT scan and chest radiography to check if the cancer has spread to other organs.

Treatment Options

Prevention

Early detection removal of polyps and following a high-fiber low-fat diet may reduce your chances of developing colorectal cancer or may prevent its growth or spread.

Treatment Plan

Your health care provider will determine a treatment plan for you based on the location and spread of any tumors.

Drug Therapies

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy shrink the tumor especially if it is located in the rectum. Biological therapy or immunotherapy repairs stimulates or enhances the immune system's natural anticancer function.

Surgical and Other Procedures

Generally the surgeon removes the tumor along with part of the colon or rectum and nearby lymph nodes and reconnects the healthy portions of the colon or rectum.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

A comprehensive treatment plan for colorectal cancer may include a range of complementary and alternative therapies.

Nutrition

Nutritional therapy can help slow the progression of disease prevent its recurrence and minimize the side effects of chemotherapy. Recommended foods include the following.

• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli cabbage brussel sprouts cauliflower and onions
• A high-fiber (whole grains and legumes) low-protein diet
• Fats from vegetable and fish sources including nuts seeds cold-water fish

Potentially beneficial nutrient supplements include the following.

• Bromelain (500 mg twice daily between meals) taken with turmeric (Curcuma longa) 250 to 500 mg a day
• Omega-3 and omega-6 oils (fish oil evening primrose oil) 3 to 6 g a day
• Lactobacillus acidophilus (1 capsule with meals)
• For patients receiving chemotherapy coenzyme Q10 (200 mg a day)

In addition the following supplements can make up for deficient nutrients.

• Folic acid (800 mg to 1 200 mcg a day) taken with vitamin B₁₂ (1 200 mcg a day)
• Calcium (1 000 mg a day)
• Vitamin E (800 IU a day)
• Selenium (200 to 400 mcg a day)
• Beta-carotene (50 000 IU a day)
• Vitamin C (3 to 6 g a day)

Herbs

Formulas containing tumor-suppressing immune-stimulating and antimutagenic constituents (to counter changes in the DNA of cells) are traditionally used for treating cancer. These include the following.

• Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
• Burdock (Actium lappa)
• Queen of the meadow (Stillingia sylvatica)
• Barberry (Berberis vulgaris)
• Poke root (Phytolacca americana)
• Prickly ash bark (Xanthoxylum americanum)
• Buckthorn bark (Rhamnus purshiana) with potassium iodide salts. This is best taken as a tea (2 to 3 cups a day) or tincture (30 to 60 drops twice daily).

These herbs are generally available as dried extracts (pills capsules or tablets) teas or tinctures (alcohol extraction unless otherwise noted). Dose for teas is 1 heaping tsp./cup water steeped for 10 minutes (roots need 20 minutes).

Homeopathy

An experienced homeopath could prescribe a regimen for treating colorectal cancer that is designed especially for you. Some of the most common acute remedies particularly for treating the side effects of chemotherapy are listed below.

• Arsenicum for anxiety and nausea with restlessness and burning pains
• Ipecac for nausea unrelieved by vomiting
• Nux vomica for cramping sharp abdominal pains with anger and collapse

Acute dose is three to five pellets of 12X to 30C every one to four hours until symptoms are relieved.

Prognosis/Possible Complications

Metastasis or spreading of the cancer to other organs such as the liver and lungs is a serious concern. A temporary or permanent colostomy in which part of the colon is brought through the abdomen and opened in order to empty waste from the body may be needed.

Following Up

After surgery your provider may perform further tests to make sure the cancer has not returned or spread. Pregnancy can complicate both the detection and treatment of colorectal cancer. Discuss your concerns with your health care provider.

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Copyright © 2000 Integrative Medicine Communications

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application use or misuse of any of the information contained herein including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability negligence or otherwise. No warranty expressed or implied is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor pharmacist nurse or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage precautions warnings interactions and contraindications before administering any drug herb or supplement discussed herein.