Understanding the Word Colorectal / Colorectum.
Colorectal is a word used for human intestine which is the long tube or passage between the stomach and the anus where food passes from stomach to intestines to the end where waste is collected and passed out of the body through anus. Human intestine is made of large and small intestine, the small intestine is made up of three separate parts. They are known as Duodenum, Jejunum and Ileum respectively, which serve as the whole passage from the stomach through a hole or space between the stomach and small intestine called pylorus, hence, pylorus is a part or the area at the bottom end of the stomach that leads to and opens into the duodenum which is the first part with the entry point of small intestine, then to the large intestine. Colorectal is made of colon, rectum and anal canal. Colon is the part of the large intestine while rectum is the end section of the large intestine that connects the colon to the anus, where waste is collected or passed before leaving the body through anus.
Cancer on the other hand, is a serious disease when abnormal growths of cell is formed in the body and kill normal body cell. Put differently, cancer is a danus disease which abnormal cell develops in any part of the body and destroys the normal body cell. It is dangerous because it causes death.
So, what’s Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal cancer or colon cancer is a disease caused by the abnormal growth of cells over a period of time without control in the colon or rectum or better still, in the lower end of the digestive tract. Colorectal cancer begins in the large intestine which is the large long tube (where stool is formed) that carries waste to the rectum and later out of the body.
The likely signs or symptoms for colorectal cancer depends on the size and location, however, the signs may include, abdominal discomfort, blood in the stool, weight loss, vomiting amongst others. The healthy ways to reduce the risk of having colorectal cancer, include, avoiding smoking, avoiding too much of alcohol intake, keep a healthy weight, have a healthy diet, amongst others.
Early screening tests can help to detect this abnormal growths known as polyps. So, they can be treated or removed before they become cancerous and spread to other parts. One good news about colorectal cancer is that many people survive it, if treated at the early stage. The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) data, reveals that over 90% of people treated in the early stage colorectal cancer were alive five years after diagnosis.
