What Is Colon Cancer?

Before you can understand how colon cancer can affect you, you must understand exactly what cancer is. Cancer is the umbrella name given to hundreds of diseases and disorders. Though talked about as lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancers are many more, the disease does not really affect the organ but affects the cell of the organ. The title of the cancer comes from the organ affected. The colon, a major organ in your intestine, is made up of cells and when those cells become cancerous, colon cancer is diagnosed.

The cells will become cancerous if they begin to divide without control or function. This will cause damage to other cells as the dividing cells vie for space and dominancy. The normal function of the cells is to divide to replace old cells. When the cancerous cells divide without control the other cells have little chance competing with them. The uncontrolled dividing cells take up more and more space until they become a mass of cells and become tumor or growth. Once large enough, the tumor can cause discomfort or even pain. The tumor, if not removed, will grow big enough so that you can actually see or feel the affected area. For example in breast cancer, the woman or doctor can feel on the outside of the skin for a bump or lump that is out of place.