- Colon Cancer
Each year nearly 148,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and approximately 57,000 will die.
Early detection of colon cancer is vital. Click here for more information.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses 2 distinct diseases, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (each of which are described further below). Crohn's disease has a prevalence in the U.S. of approximately 5 cases per 100,000 persons, while ulcerative colitis is 3 times as common at 15 cases per 100,000. Worldwide, the incidences of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are much higher at 90 and 200 cases per 100,000, respectively.
- Crohn's Disease
Crohn's Disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the digestive tract (i.e. from the mouth to the anus). Additionally, it can also affect more than one portion at a time, resulting in various symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue, and abdominal pain.
Crohn's disease results in deep ulcerations that occur in the digestive tract. These ulcerations are continually occurring and repeating, resulting in a rough looking surface that aids in the diagnosis of Crohn's.
- Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative Colitis (UC), like Crohn's Disease, is a form of inflammatory bowel disease; however, unlike Crohn's, UC only affects certain portions of the colon, rectum and small intestine. Individuals who have UC are at a greater risk for development of colorectal cancer.
UC causes inflammation and ulcerations in the lining of the colon and rectum. UC most commonly forms on the left side of the effected areas and location does help determine treatment. Furthermore, the size of the effected area does not determine the severity of the condition.
- Polyps
Colon polyps are precancerous growths that develop in the colon and/or rectum. Typically, they do not produce any symptoms and are discovered as a result of a fecal occult blood (FOB) test or colonoscopy. It is important to detect polyps, as they can develop into colorectal cancer. Polyps can be easily removed, resulting in a much lower chance for the development of cancer.
