Colon Cancer

Colon/colorectal cancer starts in the large intestine, also known as the colon, or rectum. It is usually more common in middle-aged adults. Despite being a highly preventable disease, it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Jordan.

Factors that may increase the risk of developing colon cancer include:

Diet high in red meat and other processed meats.
Presences of polyps – growths that form in the large intestine, usually in people over 50 years of age. If these polyps are not removed, they may become cancerous and metastasize to other areas in the body.
Family history of colorectal cancer.
Personal history of cancer.

Symptoms of colon cancer

Colon cancer may not present any symptoms, especially in early stages. Therefore, screening tests are effective in finding polyps and detecting colorectal cancer early on. If you are over 50 years old, we strongly recommend that you take regular tests to screen for colon cancer at KHCC’s Early Detection Clinic.

Common symptoms of colon cancer:

Diarrhea or constipation
Feeling that your bowel does not empty completely
Blood in the stool
Stools are narrower than usual
Persistent gas pains or cramps or feeling full or bloated
Unexplained weight loss
Constant fatigue
Nausea and vomiting

How is colon cancer diagnosed?

Fecal occult blood tests
Digital rectal exams
Flexible sigmoidoscopy to examine the colon and the rectum

For patients known or suspected to have colon cancer, a variety of diagnostic techniques are used to accurately detect and stage colorectal cancer, including:

Barium enema (a special x-ray of the intestine)
Colonoscopy to study the tumor accurately
MRI and or endorectal ultrasound for rectal cancer
CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis to detect any spread of the cancer
CEA (Carcino-embryonic antigen), an important blood test that helps as a marker of the disease. Elevated levels should drop with effective chemotherapy

Treatment of colon cancer at KHCC

Treatment for colon cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, monoclonal therapy, and after-care treatments. As a general rule, surgery is the first line of treatment. For patients with late-stage colon cancer which has spread, surgery is usually ineffective so physicians may have to resort to palliative measures.

At KHCC, we do specific molecular testing on patient’s tumor in order to add targeted therapy with chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancers.