Understanding a Los Angeles Colorectal Cancer Operation

Treatment for Los Angeles colorectal cancer is administered through surgery, which involves the rectum's or colon's lining. Apart from this type of medical operation, a patient is also often recommended for radiation therapy until such time that cancer cells are eliminated or reduced to manageable levels.  Factors that affect length or frequency of chemotherapy may also depend on how responsive the cancer cells are. There are varying types of colorectal surgeries that may be performed. Choosing which type is most appropriate relies on the extent of required tissue removal from the colon or rectum, or from surrounding areas. Segmental resection or colectomy is the most common type of colorectal surgery performed today, and this involves the removal of either a single segment of the colon, or many other segments as they are affected by the disease. The surgeon will take off the affected section of the colon, and connect the two ends.

What Are Colon Cancer Symptoms

Colon cancer symptoms can be divided into local and systemic. Local symptoms are those that reflect what's happening to the colon itself, such as constipation, loose stool or diarrhea, alternating episodes constipation and diarrhea, blood-streaked or tarry (dark)stools, very thin stools, and a general feeling of discomfort or being bloated around the abdominal area. On the other hand, systemic symptoms are those that are not directly associated with the condition of the colon, but are brought about by a combined effect of the body systems as they react to the cancer in the colon. For instance, unexplained weight loss is one systemic symptom of colon cancer. Loss of appetite is another, as well as an unexplained feeling of general body malaise or fatigue. Other systemic symptoms are nausea or vomiting, anemia and a yellow discoloration of the skin or jaundice, which is a result of the cancer affecting the liver.