Bowel cancer

 A seemingly healthy man with stage 4 cancer describes his first symptom of bowel cancer.

01- Sign of bowel cancer that surfaced too late:

Geoffrey Seymour, 41, used to enjoy playing sports like tennis, basketball, and cricket. He was in good physical shape. Seymour, however, had not yet shown any telltale signs of colon cancer in its advanced stages.

He became aware of his first symptom two weeks before his birthday.

02-The initial sign that Seymour noticed:

Seymour first noted that there was blood in his stools as the first symptom. When he noticed this shift, he realised it might be a sign of cancer and made the decision to see a doctor.

Stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to Seymour's liver was identified.

According to Geoffrey, "I've always taken care of myself, so to get the diagnosis was tremendous," as reported by Express UK. It felt like being encased in a burning paper bag, but I've always had the ability to work through problems, and perseverance is just who I am.

03-Five chemotherapy rounds:

Seymour underwent five cycles of chemotherapy every three weeks after being diagnosed in March 2021. These at first assisted in lessening the lesions in his liver. He underwent surgery in December 2021 to have a third of his liver removed.

04-Additional tumour discovered:

More tumours in Seymour's liver were discovered by scan a month later. He therefore underwent more treatment.

As a result of its success, liver surgery was scheduled for June 2022. A scan performed a few weeks before to the procedure, however, showed disease progression.

05- Treatment side effects:

A new chemotherapy drug was started for Geoffrey. His procedure was postponed. Blood tests and a scan after two chemotherapy cycles revealed the disease had once more progressed. For Geoffrey, the side effects were becoming intolerable.

Chemotherapy is no longer effective since the body has grown accustomed to it; the adverse effects have gotten worse and worse, he said.

The skin on his face has been severely damaged by the procedure. He explained, "Basically it destroys all your fast-growing cells, which include your cancer cells but also include your hair and nails, so that's why my body has a bad reaction to chemotherapy. That caused an extremely unpleasant reaction in my face.

06- The prospect of a customised vaccine:

Geoffrey has travelled to Germany for dendritic cell therapy since chemo is no longer working. In order to activate the immune system, a customised vaccination is made in a lab.

Cancer Research UK claims that this field of study is still in its early stages. The medical care is expensive. Geoffrey, who believes he can beat cancer, is working to raise money for his prospective medical care.

07-Additional signs of bowel cancer:

Here are some additional symptoms that may indicate colon cancer:

-Constipation, diarrhoea, or a change in stool consistency

-Continuous stomach pain

-A feeling that your bowels aren't totally empty

-Fatigue

- Unaccounted-for weight loss

08- Can bowel cancer spread to different body parts?

If bowel cancer is not found and treated in a timely manner, it may be fatal. The liver, the lungs, the brain, the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), and distant lymph nodes are among the bodily areas where the cancer may spread. When the cancer has migrated to another area of the body, it is also known as advanced bowel cancer.

09-What is the prognosis for bowel cancer:

According to Cancer.Net, if cancer is discovered at a localised stage, there is a solid 90% chance of survival. The 5-year survival rate is roughly 73% if the disease has progressed to the local lymph nodes, tissues, or organs. Additionally, the 5-year survival rate drops to just 17% if the cancer has migrated to distant organs.

10- Bowel cancer risk factors:

Indicators of bowel cancer risk

Some of the risk factors for colon cancer development are listed below:

-Insufficient physical activity

-Having a diet that is lacking in fruits and vegetables

-Excessive weight and obesity

-Alcohol consumption has increased

- Use of tobacco

11-Colonoscopy:

​Colonoscopy

The best way to find bowel cancer is with a colonoscopy, which examines the big bowel's length. Air is pumped into the colon via a flexible tube that is inserted into the anus. Using a camera on the end of the tube, your doctor can look for abnormal tissue that is removed for further examination.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy is used to examine the rectum and the left side of the lower intestine. You could remove any unusual tissue for examination.

Here are some recommendations for reducing your risk of colon cancer:

                             

- Keep a healthy weight.

- Engage in routine physical activities

-Avoid eating processed beef.

-Use less booze.

– Consume whole grains and dietary fibre

-Abandon smoking