Colon Cancer and Liver Disease

Colon Cancer is the hyperproliferation of abnormal cells or cancer cellular mass in the actual colon. As the word cancer implies, colon cancer is a malignant and metastasic condition the may evade other organs.

Our colon is a muscular, tube-shaped organ measuring approximately 4 feet long. It goes on from the end of your small intestine to your anus, perverting and whirling through the abdomen (belly).

Cancer is a malignant tumor that spreads and affects other organs. Once cancer reaches the blood vessels or lymph nodes, it evades the nearby organ then and if the abnormal proliferation of cells is left untreated. Cancers are a life-threatening condition because of their uninhibited growth. They overpower and devastate healthy cells, tissues, and by taking their space, oxygen, and nutrients. Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas—tumors that grow from the glands lining inside the colon wall. Oftentimes, colon cancer is referred to colorectal cancer since the rectum is the end point of the colon

The liver, on the other hand, serves as the body’s filter against toxins. It has 300 functions, some of those are clearing the toxins carried in the blood, functionally assisting in blood clotting, production of enzymes useful for actual digestion and for the production of albumin. The liver can repair itself efficiently. But with the continuous attack of toxins and infections, the liver becomes so scarred to the point that it can no longer function anymore.

This gradual destruction of the actual liver tissues is called the chronic liver disease. For a span of over 20 to 40 years, chronic liver disease progresses slowly from hepatitis to cirrhosis. Serious chronic liver disease will eventually lead to the need of a liver transplant, the only option that will be left in advance stages of the disease.

Cirrhosis of the actual liver is the consequence of this chronic liver disease which is characterized by the replacement of the functional liver tissue by a fibrotic scar orange-yellow tissue. Cirrhosis is 11th leading caused of death and does affect twice as much men as actual women. Because of the chronic damage to the liver, blood flow in the organ diminishes as well as the processing of nutrients, hormones, poison and drugs because of the loss of the normal liver tissues that do that job. This unfiltered substances passing through the actual liver and into the body will cause more complications and health problems.

Colon Cancer and Liver Disease Causes, Risk Factors

Mainly, colorectal cancers come up from adenomatous polyps, clusters of abnormal cellular mass in the glands that surround the internal colon walls. Eventually, these abnormal growths expand and eventually deteriorate to become adenocarcinomas.

People have a greater-than-normal risk of actual colorectal cancer with any of numerous conditions identified as adenomatous polyposis syndromes. Numerous adenomatous polyps grow in the colon in many conditions and lead to colon cancer.

Cancer typically happens before 40 years of age. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) has the tendency to likely run in families.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndromes are another division of colon cancer syndromes that also run in families. Colon cancer is developed without the forerunner polyps in these conditions. This HNPCC is related to genetic abnormality. This is associated with a genetic discrepancy, and people prone to this particular type of disorder ca be recognized by genetic screening. Cancer tumor markers are also tested to screen and detect precancerous and malignant tumors.

People with the following conditions are at high risk of acquiring this particular type of cancer:

· Ulcerative colitis or Crohn colitis (Crohn disease)

· Breast, ovarian, or uterine present or in the near to long-time past

· A familial history of colon cancer, 2-3 times risk for individuals with first-degree relative diagnosed with colon cancer, and it increases if there are more than one affected family member

· Obesity may affect the actual risks involved in the development of colon cancer

· Cigarette smoking has been identified to definitely be related to a functional higher risk for actual Colon cancer.
Colon Cancer Symptoms

Cancer of the colon and rectum can show itself in numerous ways. Bleeding or presence of fresh blood mixed with stool is the most frequent sign of colorectal cancer. Fatigue and pale skin may be associated with this condition since occult and chronic bleeding causes anemia. Blocking of the colon, may be complete or partial, may happen if the tumor grows larger, and may cause bowel obstruction. Abdominal distension and abdominal pain and leaking of the bowel contents to the pelvis may cause inflammation and infection (peritonitis) may be present. Unexplained or sudden weight loss, unexplained and persistent nausea or vomiting, change in the character and frequency of stool and bowel movements, ribbon-like or narrow stool, feeling of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement are mostly present in patients with colorectal cancer.
Liver Disease Symptoms

Cirrhosis, on the other hand, has many different causes but it is often due to alcoholism and Hepatitis (C, commonly). Obtained from autopsies studies, it appears that 10% to 15% of alcoholics have liver cirrhosis at the time of their death. Heavy drinking in men for many years causes severe damage to the liver. But nowadays, women are actually much susceptible to liver damage due to alcoholism. Inflammation of the actual liver caused by chronic hepatitis or viral infections will scar the liver after a considerable number of actual years or decades. This scarring, as we now know, will surely lead to actual cirrhosis.

Also, toxins can add up to this scarring. If the actual liver is already scarred, if not severe, and there is a continued in take of toxins which includes prescribed and unprescribed drugs, parasitic infections called schistosomiasis and other environmental toxins, cirrhosis will eventually eat your liver. Cirrhosis can also be actually caused by inherited diseases like Wilson’s disease of copper metabolism, hemocromatosis (a condition of excessive iron presence in the actual body), galactosemia and glycogen storage disease.

Non-alcoholic people can still also develop cirrhosis. This happens when fats build up and are stored by the actual liver causing scar tissue , or scientifically called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is associated with actual diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease and treatment using functional corticosteroid medications.

Babies can also have biliary cirrhosis due to biliary atresia, a condition in which bile ducts are blocked or absent.

Other causes of cirrhosis are chemical exposure, obstruction of outflow of blood from the liver, cystic fibrosis, malnutrition, alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and autoimmune hepatitis.

Colon Cancer and Liver Disease Treatment and Prevention

The principal treatment of colon cancer is to surgically take out part or the entire colon. Indicative polyps may be removed for the duration of colonoscopy. Chemotherapy after surgery can lengthen the survival for people whose cancer has extended to the near lymph nodes. Radiation treatment after surgery extends the survival for individuals with rectal cancer, but it doesn’t aid people with colon cancer. Radiation may reduce the size of the tumor if given before the surgery. And if given after treatment, it shows to reduce the actual risk of coming back of cancer after treatment.

Diet of high-fiber, low-fat diet can help prevent colon cancer. Research shows that an actual diet rich in vegetables and fruits can help prevent colon cancer, as well as regular exercise can help prevent its occurrence. Drug effects may help in reducing the actual risk involved in the development of colon cancer, like estrogen replacement therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin may reduce colorectal cancer risk. The best prevention is the detection of colon cancer and treats it early in its formation. Regular screening for colon cancer, including fecal occult blood tests, colonoscopy, or sigmoidoscopy and polyp removal, significantly reduces the actual risk of having a colorectal cancer.

We all know that actual prevention is far better than functional cure. Then the best way to prevent liver cirrhosis is through complete abstinence from alcohol. It is common to alcoholics to be malnourished. Therefore, they will need more calories and rigorous nutritional diet and support to increase the survival rates. To prevent hepatitis-related cirrhosis, treatment for the different types of hepatitis, such as medication intake of interferon for viral hepatitis and corticosteroid for the autoimmune hepatitis, is involved. For the prevention or medication of cirrhosis caused by Wilson’s disease, it should be treated with chelation therapy to remove excessive copper traces in the organ. More specific treatment for the disease will be determined and discussed by your physician, depending on your need and your age bracket.

Today, there is still no effective treatment existing for liver scarring but only treatment to the causes of it. However, there are studies now about cellular and molecular mechanisms for treating scarring. But before the day comes when the treatment will be introduced, the best we can do now is to prevent causes of actual cirrhosis or reduce the progression to liver scarring or worst to liver cancer.