Prostate Cancer Blog » Colon Cancer

Does anybody know if green stool could be a sign of colon cancer?

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:06:16 +0000

Today when I went to the bathroom, my stool was greenish. It almost looked like it had green moss growing on it. Does anybody know if this is a sign of colon cancer? I’ve had other colon cancer symptoms as well lately and I have a doctors appointment scheduled for July 6th.

I’ve never heard of green stool being a symptom of Colon Cancer, but I am just curious.

You wouldn’t have happened to maybe eat some green veggies in the last few days? No, it’s not a sign of cancer. What would your other symptoms happen to be?

How can I reduce my risk of having Colon Cancer?

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:54:18 +0000

I have just been assessed that I am at a higher risk of having Colon Cancer, which scares me because I have had issues with my GI tract before, bleeding and IBS a lot of diarrhea. I am never around any smoke, I know that helps and I know eating better, exercising and reducing stress-but any other ways you know of?

Diet is extremely important. Stay away from caffeine, coke and coffee which causes diarrhea. Give her digestive system a break once in a while by following a clear liquid diet for a whole day. Stay away from milk products. Have a colonoscopy done every couple of years.

At what stage does colon cancer become fatal?

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:53:05 +0000

A relative of mine has stage 3 Colon Cancer. I don’t know the details, but could somebody tell me when colon cancer becomes fatal and what this person can likely expect to happen in the future?

At stage 3, colon cancer does not have to be fatal. Surgery can be done where that part of the colon is removed and all surrounding colon that harbor the cancer cells. The bad side of this is a colostomy bag. The patient will more than likely have to wear one. The good side to this is they can live a long life with colostomy bags. So think positive because everyone is different and can tolerate illness differently than others. Just remember, 3rd stage does not have be a death sentence. If my sister can live through 4th stage ovarian cancer, so can your relative. There are never any guarantees and No one can give you one. Just pray and trust all is in God’s hands.

What Are The Chances Of Getting Colon Cancer If No One Else In My Family Has It?

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 18:41:43 +0000

I know this sounds a bit strange, but hear me out…
A few days ago I used a Mystic Eye (something like an oujii board) and I asked how I would die. It said of "Cancer Colon" and in my 70’s.
I’m a bit of a hypochondriac and this got me thinking. Since then I have had stomach pains (not from being worried) most of the time during the past 3 days. Today I had a pain in the lower part of my chest/upper part of my stomach that later moved to around my right kidney.
My body is achey which it has been for the past few months (the doctor said it was from over-using my muscles from playing bass) today it’s been a bit worse but I’ve been walking around town all day.
The only people in my family to have Cancer are my aunt on my mother’s side who had ovarian cancer and my grandma on my father’s side who had lung cancer (and smoked for many years.) I’m 15 years old.
What are the odds of me getting Colon Cancer?
I also have shortness of breath which I’ve had on and off since my muscles/joints started hurting in the beginning of the summer.
I’m a white male who doesn’t smoke, drink or do any drugs. I don’t eat much meat other than Mcdonalds hamburgers, and occasionally hamburgers off the grill at home.

Colon Cancer is asymptomatic until the very late stages. It is not a common cancer for a 15 year old at all. Certain age groups tend to have different types of cancer, not always, but enough to think that age is a factor when determining the types of cancer you can get. Colon cancer is bascially a disease of older people, you hear alot about it because there is educational material teaching the public about the disease (just like smoking and breast cancer receive a great deal of media). This is all good for older people who need this information, but it does little good for people your age.

The types of cancer that teenagers commonly get are often related to growing (growth spurts) and hormones thus you should be looking out for any unusual lumps or bumps located anywhere on the body. Be especially suspicious of any bump that seems to be growing. The types of cancer common to adolescents are:

1. Leukemia – cancer of the blood
2. Osteosarcoma – a type of bone cancer
3. Ewing’s sarcoma – a type of bone cancer
4. Hodgkin’s disease – lymphatic system (lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, adenoids, tonsils, and bone marrow)
5. non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma -lymphatic system (lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, adenoids, tonsils, and bone marrow)
6. Germ cell cancers – Testicular Cancer
7. Soft tissue sarcoma – cancer of connective tissue or muscles, example is Rhabdomyosarcoma
8. Brain tumors – not generally common in teens but two forms to watch for include Astrocytomas (from cells in the brain called astrocytes) and Ependymomas (begin in the lining of brain ventricles).
9. Melanoma – skin cancer
10. Thyroid cancer

http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/cancer/cancer.html

It is possible to have other types of very rare cancer as a teen too, but the above diseases are the most common and the ones that all teens should become aware of. Each age group should become familiar with the types of cancer common for their age . . it narrows the field of over 200 different kinds of cancer down considerably.

Still, if you have any doubts please go seek out medical advice. Get a complete physical and discuss any concerns with your doctor.

Best.

What is they best way to prevent colon and prostate cancer ?

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:40:10 +0000

My boyfriend is 33 and he is concerned with getting cancer because one of his co-workers recently died from Colon Cancer and he was only 30 years old!!!

Fish oils help prevent prostate cancer
BETHESDA, MARYLAND. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a major component of flax seed oil and has been associated with significant cardiovascular benefits. Some studies, however, have shown that a high intake of ALA is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. A prestigious team of researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm has just released the results of a study aimed at settling the controversy as to whether or not ALA is detrimental when it comes to prostate cancer. The researchers also determined the effect of other fatty acids, including fish oils, on prostate cancer risk.

******

Please NOTE****

The evidence is now indeed overwhelming that selenium helps protect against prostate cancer. While this study concluded that the protection mainly involves slowing down tumor progression, other studies have shown that selenium also helps prevent initiation of the cancer. Thus daily supplementation with 200 micrograms of selenium should be an integral part of all supplementation programs for men.

Each year some 40,000 American men die of prostate cancer because the disease is not detected early enough. In its most treatable stages, prostate cancer usually has no symptoms, which means regular screening is absolutely crucial. Below, Doctor Daniel Shasha, an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Doctor Robert Salant, an Associate Professor of Urology at the NYU School of Medicine, offer some information about the importance of prostate cancer screening and the common fears that surround it. This information could truly save your life.

how long can you live with colon cancer stage four and luekemia ?

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:45:54 +0000

my dad has stage four Colon Cancer and was diagnosed in mid december. its spread to his liver and lungs and part of his stomach. he also has luekemia. what is the longest he could live with certain treatments?

No one can give you an estimate time on your dad’s life. Every individual is different and every persons body reacts differently. In the meantime it would be good for your dad to try and keep his nutrition healthy and he might even try anti-oxidants to help slow down the process of the cancer spreading. Anti- oxidants bind with free radicals and definetly helps to slow down the process. Your dad’s condition is serious and advanced. Prepare yourself and accept the fact that he has this disease and ensure spending lots of time with him.Prevention is always better than cure

What shall i do i have colon cancer and im only 14?

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:44:58 +0000

I am only 14 years old and today i was diagnosed with colon cancer symptoms and im not sure what to do! I am very upset about it and feel that my friends should know about my condition.
How can i tell them without scaring them?
And what shall i do to make my self feel better??

thankyou to anyone who can help me!

“Colon cancer symptoms” is not a diagnosis. If you truly were diagnosed with Colon Cancer not scaring your friends should be the least of your concerns. When someone your age gets an adult cancer it is far more dangerous for you than it would be for a 60 year old person.

When you have stage 4 colon cancer and you are undergoing chemo is it hard or can you work?

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:26:04 +0000

I have an inlaw that underwent a recurring surgery to have his colon removed. His cancer has spreaded to his liver.

"Panda" is the top answerer in this category, but I have to
disagree with her statement that "stage IV disease . . . means that it will be more difficult to treat and take longer than a stage 1 .. that’s all." Colon Cancer metastatic to the liver is not likely to be cured in any medical center.

Chemotherapy is usually given to buy some time – often in terms of extra months rather than many years. The chemotherapy given for colon carcinoma is usually better tolerated than more aggressive regimens used for other types of cancer.

I have had some patients tolerate 5FU based chemo regimens well enough to work if they wanted to – usually they did not. Often it is the advancing malignancy in the liver that leads to weakness and weight loss plus lack of energy and decreased activity level.

Added note re: Lola’s answer (which is otherwise fine) – I’ve never heard a stage "five" cancer. Stage four means the cancer has spread to distant areas – such as the liver in this case. There is no stage beyond stage four.
And stage does refer to the malignant disease – not to the treatment – though the treatment is tailored to the stage of the disease. These are small points.

What you want to know is that the treatment is usually not very rough. If your family member is in good shape, he may have some good quality time left. If there is truly significant liver involvement, many years of survival would be unusual.

Survival does vary with the level of involvement. The National Cancer Institute indicates that people with three or fewer lesions in the liver can do better.for longer periods — perhaps 25% survival at five years compared to less than 5% survival at five years for more extensive liver involvement

Correcting myself – Lola is correct. If you count stage 0, there are five stages – - but stage four is the last stage.

Also – of course no doctor is God and no one can say when someone will die. We can only provide information about the usual outcomes based on previous people. I did not use the word "terminal" in my cancer specialty medicine practice. All of us are terminal. There are always people who do better than average.

what are the odds that my boyfriend has colon cancer?

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:45:06 +0000

my boyfriend recently told me that he has a long history of colon cancer with the males in his family. im not sure if he shows any symptoms of it,but im just worried. every 14 years all of the men in their family get a check up for it,just to make sure. i don’t know if im making a big deal out of it,but i just want to make sure he’s ok.do you think that he might have it?

I would say the best thing for you to do is relax. Ask him to check to make sure there isn’t traces of blood in his feces. Scants of red blood could mean that a polyp is open. A polyp is a sign of rectal and Colon Cancer. If he is being checked out however there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

He may also want to change his diet to include foods that support a healthy colon.

try www.mayoclinic.com

How bad is it when doctors use radiation as treatment for stage 4 colon cancer?

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:37:16 +0000

My best friend has stage 4 Colon Cancer. She’s only 24 years old. She told me that they are going to start radiation, what does that mean? I read about how they do it, but how bad does it have to be before they do radiation?

Just as the poster before me, they do radiation even for Stage 2 cancers. I have to get radiation for Stage 3B Breast Cancer I was officially diagnosed as cancer free but I have still have to go thrut he radiation as a safety measure. All Stage 4 cancer is bad but that does not mean that she can’t beat it–people beat statistics all the time. Keep a positive attitude and my thoughts and prayers are with you and her and the family during this difficult time.