Colon cancer is one of the most diagnosed forms of cancer in the United States. Although colon cancer has the highest incidence in people with ages over 50, the disease can also be developed by young adults and even children. Despite the fact that it can occur in both sexes, colon cancer predominantly affects the male gender. In most cases, colon cancer is a life-threatening disease that requires immediate treatment.

Staging is a method of evaluating the progress of colon cancer in a patient. That is, it looks at the colon cancer (tumor) and the extent to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Once doctors know how far along the colon cancer is, they can decide on the best course of treatment.

Treatment of Stage 0 colon cancer (carcinoma in situ) may include the following types of surgery. Local excision, which is surgery to remove the colon cancer without cutting through the abdominal wall. A polypectomy, which is surgery to remove the colon cancer from the bulging piece of tissue.

Effectiveness of the treatment of colon cancer is governed by how early it is detected/ diagnosed. There are various ways of treating colon cancer and researchers are always looking for newer and better ways of treating colon cancer. However, as of now, surgical procedures are one of the prime treatments for colon cancer. The objective is to remove all the cancerous tissues and hence prevent the cancer from spreading. Other treatments of cancer include application of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

One indication that you may have cancer of the colon may turn up when a routine test for invisible traces of blood in the faces is positive. Bear in mind that many other conditions besides cancer can lead to the presence of small amounts of blood in the faces; these conditions can include hemorrhoids, non-cancerous tumors or infections. A routine physical examination by a doctor should be done even when no colon cancer is suspected.

Reduce exposure to radiation. Excessive exposure to radiation has been found to cause colon cancer. Radiation rays are harmful and can render healthy normal cells abnormal. By all means, avoid unnecessary X-rays, CT scans, mammograms so that you can best prevent colon cancer.

Generally the most indicated procedure in trying to treat colon cancer is surgery. By surgery the doctors will remove the tumor from the colon. If the cancer spread, giving metastasis, the doctors will recommend you chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These are hard bearable due to their side effects like nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, fever, and tiredness.

The final - and easiest to change - risk factors are diet, exercise and habits. A high fat, high calorie and high protein diet has been shown to increase the chances of you developing colon cancer. This type of diet may also contribute to another risk factor, weight. Lack of exercise also contributes to your risk. You can minimize these three risk factors by making some simple changes such as eating more fruits and vegetables and beginning exercise. These two changes will help you lose weight and improve your diet. Smoking and drinking also contribute to colon cancer risk.