Treating Colon Cancer
This animation explains how colon cancer forms and how it can be treated through chemotherapy and surgery.
The colon is part of the digestive system.
This organ is responsible for extracting water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body. Due to genetic predesposition, lifestyle, or both, new tissue may form in the colon.
This growth can be benign or malignant. Early detection can be done through an examination called colonoscopy. Colonoscopy helps find ulcers, colon polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. In this procedure, an endoscope is used. An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube that can conform to the shape of the colon, allowing doctors to peak into hidden spaces in the body. The endoscope navigates through the descending, transverse, and ascending colon, searching for irregularities. In the video, a polyp is found, an abnormal growth of tissue. The development of polyp as it grows is explained.
A view inside the colon reveals a polyp. With a special channel in the endoscope that is controlled from the outside, the polyp is removed by the wire loop that simultaneously cuts the stalk of the polyp and cauterizes it to prevent bleeding. The removed polyp will be examined to find out whether it is benign or cancerous. The sliced polyp reveals the mutated cells and if the cells' multiplication is out of control, surgery is an option. The colon with the tumor is excised and the two separated parts of the colon get reattached. If the cancer cells have entered the bloodstream, chemotherapy is the treatment of choice. Anticancer drugs destroy cancer cells by stopping them from growing or multiplying.
The material on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Consult a licensed medical professional for the diagnosis and treatment of all medical conditions and before starting a new diet or exercise program. If you have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.