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Colon Cancer Research Paper

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignancy of the large bowel. It is the third most common cancer in men and woman and the second leading cause of cancer related death in the Unites States. In 2011, an estimated 135,260 new cases of colon cancer were diagnosed, including 70,099 men and 65,161 women. Almost half of all patients (51,783) diagnosed, died from CRC.1 Incidence varies by sex, age, and race and is highest in black males.2 The etiology for most large bowel cases appears to be related to environmental factors and is more common in urban areas. Mortality of CRC tends to follow the amount of food intake, including meat, protein, dietary fat, and amount of fiber.3 Hereditary factors account for nearly 25% of all CRC cases and is subdivided into two major groups: polyposis and non-polyposis syndromes. Polyposis colon cancer results from a defect in the colonic mucosa and impaired DNA repair mechanisms. It is associated with a deletion in the long arm of chromosome 5. Non-polyposis colon cancer is characterized by histologically documented colorectal cancer in multiple family members. It is associated with multiple mutations on several genes, with hMSH2 on chromosome 2 and hMLH1 on chromosome 3 exhibiting the major role in the development of cancer. …show more content…

It is associated with: depth of tumor penetration into the large bowel, regional lymph node involvement, and distant metastases. Patients with multiple metastases and lymph node invasion are more likely to have a more aggressive clinical course.4 Current recommended screening options include high-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy.5 The listed studies have fairly high sensitivities and specificities for CRC itself, but low sensitivity for the detection of advanced adenomas. Additional stool-based methods are in development, offering more options for colorectal cancer screening, including a fecal DNA

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