Types of Inherited Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is becoming more common. There will be around 125,000 new cases diagnosed in America this year. Many of these cases are in people more than 50 years old and are random. A small percentage, approximately 10%, however are not random, they have an inherited form of colon cancer. This could be caused by four different hereditary conditions, hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis, juvenile polyposis (this may also be nonhereditary) and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

Colon cancer is caused by damage to the genes in your colon cells. These damages can cause the cells to grow unrestricted. This unrestricted growth becomes a polyp, which will become cancerous if its not removed. Usually it takes a long time for polyps to develop and even longer to become cancerous. Thats why colon cancer is rare in people less than 50 years old. The cases in people less than 50 are frequently caused by an inherited condition.

Inherited colon cancers are difficult to accurately diagnose. It is first considered when a person has a strong family history of colon cancer and the affected family members are from separate generations. For example - a man has two uncles and a cousin that have been diagnosed, this would be a strong family history. With a bit of research into that patients family tree, many more cases of colon cancer may be found and documented.

The two most common inherited colon cancers are hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Recently the genes that cause each of these conditions were identified and now a blood test has been developed that tells you if you have inherited the disease. Thanks to these blood tests, a person who has inherited the disease can begin getting tested for colon cancer at an earlier age than most people. This early testing allows physicians to catch the disease in the early stages, when it is most treatable. It also allows a doctor to determine if a course of chemoprevention is appropriate, or if other prevention strategies are more appropriate.

Hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer occurs when the gene damage interferes with cell repair. HNPCC causes about 5% of all colon cancer diagnoses, but it can cause other cancers as well. HNPCC can also cause cancers in the urinary system (kidney, bladder, or ureter), the female reproductive system (uterus, endometrium, or ovaries), or the rest of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach, small intestine, or pancreas). A person with HNPCC has an 80% chance of developing colon cancer. Even with this high risk, regular checkups and cancer screenings can save your life by preventing or catching cancer early on.

Familial adenomatous polyposis causes hundreds, even thousands, of polyps to develop in a persons digestive tract. Because a person affected by FAP begins developing colon polyps at an early age - he or she often develops colon cancer by age 40, ten years earlier than most physicians even begin screening for it. This is why it is recommended that people with a family history get the blood test for FAP.

Not much is known about juvenile polyposis. Some forms of juvenile polyposis are hereditary, but there isnt a commercial genetic test yet. The only test available is used strictly for research purposes. Juvenile polyposis often causes polyps in the colon and small intestine. If there are any symptoms present, they are usually caused by the polyps in the colon. Surgery is often the suggested treatment in such cases.

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is a genetic condition that causes intestinal polyps and freckles on the skin of the mouth. There are no recorded cases of Peutz-Jeghers freckles developing into skin cancer. The main risk of colon cancer comes from the intestinal polyps. These polyps are usually found in the small intestine and can become so large that they cause an intestinal blockage. Around half of all Peutz-Jeghers sufferers require surgery for a blockage by the age of 20. Peutz-Jeghers has also been associated with an increased risk of other cancers and it is recommended that all Puetz-Jeghers sufferers begin cancer screenings at an earlier age than the general population.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Colon Cancer

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The Proper Herb Can Make You Think Even Better!

Some people consider herbs to be ideal for improving their memory though they do need more information regarding how fast they work and also the effects that you can expect, and whether there are any side effects to contend with. Of course, you would also be interested in knowing the price and it would pay to compare different medicinal plants so that you can choose the best herb to help you in improving your memory.

You Can Get More Than Just Better Memory

In many cases, the effectiveness of each herb depends on the ways that the herbs can help improve your memory, and in the case of Gingko biloba, there is enhanced flow of blood to the brain and also better circulations in the body. In addition, Gingko biloba also does not allow cholesterol to turn to plaque and it will fight free radicals, and also bring about an improvement in the mood. Thus, there little doubts that Gingko biloba is the best herb that will do a lot more than simply improve your memory, and it should thus is your first option.

It is also believed that the brain requires as much as twenty percent of the oxygen that you have inside of you, and any drop in level of oxygen in the brain results in vertigo, dizziness as well as fatigue, and finally, loss of memory. Thus, using Gingko Biloba is believed to be your best bet since this herb does wonders for your memory and also reduces your fatigue that comes about because of not having enough oxygen in the brain.

There are more benefits to using Gingko Biloba because this herb helps to make your memory better and it contains as many as more than forty active substances, and among them, terpenoids and flavonoids are very important, because these two antioxidants will provide your immune system with a much needed boost and they also help fight free radicals.

Another herb that you could consider to improve your memory is Ginseng which is a booster and makes you feel more energetic, while also aiding the lessening of stress as well as levels of depression, which otherwise would have caused you to lose your memory (partially, at least). Even the herb known as Rosemary will help to improve your memory because it helps enhance your mental processes directly.

However, before you select your best herb to aid in improving your memory, do make it a point to be aware of the contraindications, and note that the majority of herbs are actually anti-coagulants, and thus must never are used in excess.

Derek Carroll is the author at "Memory Improvement, Chinese Medicine and More...". There he discusses many 'Topics That May Just Be A Little Bit New To You', including this one about herbs. His site is to be found at http://www.stretchyourmind.info

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