About colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and potentially lethal disease. It is estimated that approximately 145,600 new cases of large bowel cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States, including approximately 101,420 colon and 44,180 rectal cancers. it remains the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States in women, and the second leading cause of death in men.

Typical symptoms/signs associated with CRC include hematochezia or melena, abdominal pain, otherwise unexplained iron deficiency anemia, and/or a change in bowel habits. Less common presenting symptoms include abdominal distention, and/or nausea and vomiting, which may be indicators of obstruction.

In a retrospective cohort of over 29,000 patients referred by their general practitioners over a 22-year period, presenting symptoms in the 1,626 who were eventually diagnosed with bowel cancer included:

Colorectal cancer symptoms

  • Change in bowel habits, which was the most common symptom (74%)
  • Rectal bleeding in combination with change in bowel habits, which was the most common symptom combination (51% of all cancers and 71% of those presenting with rectal bleeding)
  • Rectal mass (24.5%) or abdominal mass (12.5%)
  • Iron deficiency anemia (9.6%)
  • Abdominal pain as a single symptom, which was the least common symptom presentation (3.8%)

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of a colorectal cancer (CRC) is made by histologic examination of a biopsy that is usually obtained during lower gastrointestinal tract endoscopy or from a surgical specimen. Histopathologically, the majority of cancers arising in the colon and rectum are adenocarcinomas.

CRC may be suspected from one or more of the symptoms and signs described above or may be asymptomatic. Once a CRC is suspected, the next test can be a colonoscopy or computed tomography (CT) colonography.

Many conditions cause signs or symptoms that are similar to colorectal adenocarcinomas including other malignancies as well as benign lesions such as hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, infection, or inflammatory bowel disease. The differentiation of which generally requires biopsy and histologic evaluation. Rare malignancies other than adenocarcinomas that are primary to the large bowel include Kaposi sarcoma (KS), lymphomas, carcinoid (well-differentiated neuroendocrine) tumors, and metastases from other primary cancers.

There is no diagnostic role for routine laboratory testing in screening or staging CRC. However, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels should be obtained preoperatively and postoperatively in patients with demonstrated CRC to aid surgical treatment planning and assessment of prognosis.

In cancer care, different types of doctors often work together to create a patient’s overall treatment plan that usually includes or combines different types of treatments. This is called a multidisciplinary team. For colorectal cancer this generally includes a surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and a gastroenterologist.

Conventional Treatment

Colostomy

Sometimes, a person with rectal cancer may need to have a colostomy. This is a surgical opening, or stoma, through which the colon is connected to the abdominal surface to provide a pathway for waste to exit the body. This waste is collected in a pouch worn by the patient. Sometimes, the colostomy is only temporary to allow the rectum to heal, but it may be permanent.

Radiation

For rectal cancer, radiation therapy may be used before surgery, called neoadjuvant therapy, to shrink the tumor so that it is easier to remove. It may also be used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells, chemotherapy is often given at the same time as radiation therapy, called chemoradiation therapy, to increase the effectiveness of the radiation therapy.

Systemic Therapy

Systemic therapy is the use of medication to destroy cancer cells. This type of medication is given through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body. Systemic therapies are generally prescribed by a medical oncologist common way to give systemic therapies include an intravenous (IV) tube placed into a vein using a needle or in a pill or capsule that is swallowed (orally).

The types of systemic therapies used for colorectal cancer include:

  • Chemotherapy
  • Targeted therapy

Alternative medicine for Colon Cancer

Immunotherapy / Cellular therapy

As populations of useful bacteria decline over time, bowel-specific immunity and general immune system function deteriorate. The immune system’s overall ability to fight infection and cancer wanes, while inappropriate immune responses, including excessive inflammation, increase. CT can both boost appropriate infection- and cancer-fighting immune functions, and also help to suppress the inflammatory response when it gets out of control.

Autologous cancer vaccines have been studied extensively, with the most encouraging results noted in randomized, controlled clinical trials including more than 1,300 colorectal cancer patients in which tumor vaccines were given after surgery. These trials reported reduced recurrence rates and improved survival.

Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia involves the use of heat to directly treat a tumor or increase the vulnerability of cancer cells to other forms of treatment, such as immunotherapy, vitamin C, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

On one study colon adenocarcinoma cells demonstrated a promising decrease in cell viability after treatment with the low dose chemotherapy and heat.
Another study confirmed a potent anti-tumor efficacy caused combined thermo-chemotherapy.

Ozone/ Oxygen therapies

Ozone therapy is an effective medical treatment for different diseases like mucositis, psoriasis, acute pain, neurovascular diseases, and cancer.

Studies have shown that ozone could be useful in colon cancer management in combination with nutraceuticals or LDQT w/ 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin with significant inhibition of cytokines having a central role in colon cancer cell survival and chemoresistance.

Complimentary medicine used for associated conditions of colon cancer

B Complex

Comprehensive studies have linked a high intake of dietary or supplemental Folate and high blood Folate levels with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Folate and vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with depletion of the major intracellular antioxidant glutathione, and oxidative stress is emerging as an etiological mechanism for colon cancer.

Folate and vitamin B12 supplementation decreased the level of oxidative stress and ameliorated the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Also Folate and vitamin B12 supplementation combats carcinogen-induced oxidative stress.

Selenium

An essential trace mineral, selenium is one of the most important cancer-fighting nutrients. Scientists have noted a statistically significant correlation between low soil concentrations of selenium and increased rates of colorectal cancer.

Selenium supplementation at the time of cancer surgery can increase local immune function, an effect that may reduce recurrence. There may also be synergistic effects of selenium with other nutrients such as Folate.

A clinical trial of 200 mcg of selenium versus placebo found that the incidence of colorectal cancer was significantly less in those taking selenium.

Curcumin

Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound that acts on NF-kB, a proinflammatory mediator that influences hundreds of genes involved in the growth and spread of cancer. In addition, Curcumin regulates tumor suppressor pathways and triggers mitochondrial-mediated death in cancer cells.

It also helps to starve tumors of their vital blood supply and it can oppose many of the processes that permit metastases to spread.

Omega 3 fatty acids

O3FA work in different pathways to combat and prevent colon cancer. Multiples studies show that the populations with a higher intake have a lower risk of developing colon cancer.

O3FA reduce the pro-tumor effects of many molecules involved in the growth and spread of colon cancer, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PDECGF), cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2), nitric oxide, NF-kB, matrix metalloproteinases and beta-catenin
Experiments have shown EPA and DHA can make cancer cells more vulnerable to damage from nutraceuticals, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiation, thus encouraging the cells to turn on cell death pathways in lieu of repair pathways.

Diseases Treated at Integrative Immunotherapy Institute

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Crohn’s Disease Treatment in Mexico – Top Clinic
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