What is Colon Cancer?

As you get older you may be wondering, “What is colon cancer?” Colon cancer is a disease that can be deadly, so it’s important that you have the facts so that you can prevent it. This cancer is preventable and treatable in the early stages, so don’t wait to learn more.

The colon is the large intestine of the digestive system. This part of the body is responsible for extracting water from the food you eat and getting rid of the solid waste that’s left. The organ has a big job to do.

Like with any cancer, color cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the colon. You have cells all over the body and they’re constantly dividing to make new cells and dying. Usually your body does a pretty good job of keeping that process under control.

But with cancer, something in the life of your cells goes haywire. Your cells begin to divide out of control and the natural safety mechanisms of your body are ignored. This is thought to be both as a result of genetics and the environment.

Colon cancer generally starts out as abnormal cell growth that creates a polyp. A polyp is a small growth in the colon that can be removed. Once it’s removed, it no longer poses a threat to you. But if polyps are left to continue to grow, they can become cancerous.

That’s why making sure you have screening for colon cancer becomes so important. A colonoscopy is a test that allows a doctor to visually see the walls of the colon and remove any suspicious polyps. Any other suspicious tissue can also be biopsied to look for cancer.

Your risk for colon cancer increases with age. If you’re over the age of 50, you’ll need to start getting regular screening. How often you get screened will depend on your family history as well as the results of your first screening.

People who have a strong family history of colon cancer may need to have screening earlier in their lives and more often. You’ll need to discuss your situation with your healthcare provider and determine what screening is best for you.

But even if you’re younger than 50 and not ready for screening, you can do a lot of things now to prevent problems with colon cancer later. By staying at a healthy weight, eating foods that are high in fiber, and drinking plenty of water you can lower your risk for this deadly disease.

If you’re proactive about your health, you can prevent this and other forms of cancer that can shorten your quality and quantity of life. Knowing the answer to the question, “What is colon cancer?” could save your life.


Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Bowel cancer and Colon Cancer

** Further reading through our articles on health issues will give you a body of information that will help you decide what options you have to deal with the underlying causes of your problem through giving your body the nutrition products that will assist you body to heal from the inside out.

You can visit our health food products page here: Herbalife Health Nutrition Supplements and learn more about our core nutrition program, the Cellular Nutrition Advanced Program and also check out these targeted products, Florafiber to replace your healthy flora and Aloe Vera Juice to help cleanse your system.

We wish you well in your search for solutions to this problem and your movement towards better health in all areas.

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