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Colorectal cancer is a cancer of the colon or rectum, which starts in the digestive system. Cancer can develop in any of the four sections of the colon or in the rectum. Each of these layers has a wall that is composed of many layers of tissue. Tumors spread from the inner sheets of these walls and can grow into additional regions.
More than 95% of colon and rectal cancers are cancer of the cells that line the inside of the colon and rectum, or adenocarcinomas. The majority of colorectal tumors start out as a polyp, or a growth of tissue that begins in the lining and then spreads toward the middle of the colon and rectum.
Common symptoms of colorectal cancer include diarrhea, constipation, feeling your bowel doesn't empty completely, bloody stool, narrower stool, gas pains and cramps, spontaneous weight loss, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Other health problems can cause the same symptoms, but anyone with these symptoms should see a physician.
The four methods of treatment for colorectal cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and monoclonal antibodies, which are newer, targeted therapies. Treatment is based on the cancer stage. After determining the stage of the disease, a doctor may decide to use two or more types of treatment together, or one after the other.
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