HC Cancer Center

Digestive system

Lung Unit

#Colon and Rectal Cancer Detection Guidelines

Colon cancer is one of the few that can be diagnosed prematurely, which is to say, before the person notices any symptoms.

What is colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer is a disease in which the abnormal cells in the colon or rectum divide uncontrollably and form a malignant tumor. (The colon and the rectum are parts of the digestive system which water and some elements of food are absorbed, and waste elements are stored until they leave the body.

 

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer, without counting skin cancer, as much in men (after prostate and lung cancers) as in women (after breast and lung cancers).

How does it usually begin?

The majority of cases of colorectal cancer begin with polyps, a growth in the tissue that covers the inside lining of the colon and rectum. Polyps are common in people over the age of 50 and the majority are not cancerous. However, a certain type of polyp known as an adenoma, can have a high risk of becoming cancerous.

What are the risk factors?

The main risk factors of colorectal cancer are family history and age, but there are also other factors that influence the likelihood, such as excessive consumption of alcohol, obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco, and diet.

 

Furthermore, people with relatives with inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease and those that have hereditary diseases like Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), have a greater risk of suffering from colorectal cancer.

What methods are used to detect it?

At HC Marbella, our detection standards are based on the risk of developing colon or rectal cancer.

 

• If the risk is average (normal) and the person does not present any symptoms, does not have any immediate relatives with colorectal cancer or precancerous polyps and does not present inflammatory bowel disease, we recommend that a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or a colonoscopy be done. If the result of the FOBT is positive, a colonoscopy is carried out in order to visualize the origin of the bleeding. This test is done by oneself in one’s own home and the reading should be done by a qualified medical professional. The objective of the colorectal cancer screening and removal of the precancerous polyps is to prevent the development of malignant tumors and or their detection in an early stage. In this way, apart from the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer and treating it in its earliest phases (where the survival rate is higher), it’s appearance can be avoided. The test should be done every 1 to 2 years.

 

• People with a high risk of colorectal cancer (with more than one member of the family who has had colon or rectal cancer and, or a family member who has had early appearing colorectal cancer, may benefit from early and frequent tests. In these high-risk cases, a COLONOSCOPY is perfect to look for the presence of polyps early on. Colonoscopies must be done at age 40 or 10 years before the age of the youngest diagnosis of a family member (whichever comes first). For this, the colonoscopy is used, a device that is made up of a flexible tube of 1cm in diameter and between 122-183 cm in length. The colonoscopy is introduced to the anal orifice and move towards the colon. It allows view of the colon through a video camera at the end, whose image is projected on a monitor. Furthermore, the tube has many channels in its interior where different instruments may be placed, allowing more diagnostic tests such as biopsies, or even the removal of intestinal polyps or tumors.

HC Marbella International Hospital

At HC Marbella we are conscious of the importance of evaluating the risk of cancer and detecting the disease early.
 

If you have a history of cancer in your family, we can provide you with information about hereditary cancer and genetics. Our Oncology Service relies on genetic assessments and specialized doctors in order to analyze the ways to minimize the risk of cancer.

 

Detection is also an essential part of the prevention and care during for cancer. Through our experience in treating the patients at HC Marbella, our doctors have developed guidelines for detection for the most common cancers: breast, cervical, colorectal, head and neck, ovarian, prostate, and skin.