What Everyone Must Know About Colon Cancer
The Black Panther is gone. The shocking, sad news swept the U.S. and the rest of the world as confirmation was made that actor Chadwick Boseman succumbed to colon cancer on August 29. He was 43 years old and survived by his wife and family. The passing of an actor so young is something unfamiliar in Hollywood where almost everyone is fanatical about health and fitness.
The women of television and the silver screen all subscribe to the wonders of rejuvenating RevLite laser skin treatment, diet, and yoga. Male actors, on the other hand, are gym rats that try to pump iron every single moment they can to maintain that heroic, Olympian god figure.Chadwick himself looked bulky yet defined in his body sculpted look for the movie, Black Panther. He was also known to practice a number of martial arts to keep fit. If Boseman had such a high fitness level as can be seen in his physique in the said movie, how did he get sick? To understand his condition which led to his untimely demise, it is important to first understand what exactly is colon cancer.
What is Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It is a malignancy in the large intestine or colon. A long tubular organ, the colon stretches to about five feet and has a diameter of at least three inches. After food is digested in the stomach, all the liquefied material is pushed to the small intestine before reaching the colon. Inside the colon, the water is removed while the lining of the organ absorbs all the nutrients from the digested food. Over time, the solid material that is left is then pushed towards the rectum to be removed as body waste or fecal matter.
Signs, Symptoms, and Causes of Colon Cancer
In people who develop colon cancer, the first sign is the development of small benign polyps along the lining of the organ. When these polyps continue to multiply and become malignant, it is when physicians officially diagnose it as colon cancer. Polyps are abnormal growth on the colon lining.; Some of the most common signs of colon cancer include rectal bleeding, a sudden change in bowel movement, stomach cramps or gas pain, and even a feeling that one’s bowels are not fully emptied out during movement. Eventually, the patient will feel fatigued and may experience unexplained weight loss, similar to what happened to Chadwick Boseman in his final days.
While there is still no definitive proof about what exactly causes colon cancer, most doctors and scientists agree that when the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of a human cell is damaged, it replicates and becomes harmful to other normal tissues. These malignant cells also spread throughout the body. Some risk factors include having a family history of colon cancer, old age, obesity, consumption of high-fat diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Conventional Treatment Options
Cancer is diagnosed only after a series of tests. Some of the most common medical tests for colon cancer include colonoscopy, which is an inspection of the rectum and colon using a special camera attached to a tube that is inserted inside the body of a sedated patient; computed tomography or colonography which makes use of radio waves to produce images of the colon; sigmoidoscopy which makes use of flexible, lighted camera equipment; and fecal occult blood test (FOBT) which entails an examination of the stool to see if there are traces of blood which could be a sign of cancer. Other tests include what is called as double contrast barium enema (DCBE) and stool enema tests.Once colon cancer is positively identified in the patient, several treatment options are discussed such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
Some patients also combine conventional cancer treatments with alternative healing practices such as the ingestion of herbal teas and concoctions, adoption of a meat-free diet, meditation, and fasting. There is, however, no solid clinical proof about the efficacy of alternative medicine and healing practices in relation to cancer treatment.
Wholeness Approach to Healing
Still, many doctors do advise their cancer patients to adopt a holistic approach to the treatment, combining medication with lifestyle changes. Certainly, there is enough evidence to support the health effects of plant-based diets or even a reduction in meat consumption among cancer patients. Mental health is also important since the treatments are very taxing to the body and emotions of the patient. The love and support of family and friends are crucial to the well-being and, hopefully, the full recovery of a cancer patient. Like the character of Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther, the person under chemotherapy and other forms of treatment also has to summon every ounce of courage, optimism, and hope to fight the daily battle against cancer until, hopefully, healing occurs, and he moves on to live a full life.