Introduction
Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers. In medical terms, colon cancer is also known as colon cancer. It usually develops from initially benign precursors, which eventually degenerate over the course of several years. In its early stages, the disease is often completely asymptomatic, making preventive colonoscopy an extremely important tool for detecting and removing changes in the colon at an early stage.
Causes
The exact causes for the development of colon cancer are not known. However, extensive studies have identified many risk factors in recent years that may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. These include a lack of exercise, the consumption of a lot of sugar, the daily consumption of red meat and sausages (especially pork and beef) as well as low-fiber food.
Fiber is important to promote intestinal movement. A very low-fiber diet reduces the motor activity of the intestines, so that digestive products that have a damaging effect on the intestinal walls remain in the digestive tract longer. This promotes the development of tissue growths.
There is also an accumulation of colon cancer cases in some families. This indicates a genetic predisposition that can lead to the development of intestinal cancer. Members of affected families therefore receive comprehensive screening services at an early stage in life to detect cancer at an early stage or to remove its precursors.
However, such a hereditary predisposition exists in only 5% of patients with colorectal cancer. 95% of colorectal cancer develops without such a family background. However, patients with previous intestinal diseases, such as Crohn’s disease (an autoimmune disease directed against intestinal cells) or ulcerative colitis, also have an increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to the general population.
The malignant ulcers develop in most cases from benign precursors. This development is also called adenoma carcinoma sequence. However, the benign growths do not always necessarily degenerate. The adenomas can be divided into different types, each of which has a different risk of degeneration. If adenomas are discovered during a preventive colonoscopy, they are always removed prophylactically, so that degeneration cannot occur in the first place.
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