Malignant tumours of the Colon

Malignant tumours of the colon represent a group of diseases that affect the large intestine and consist of the proliferation of tumour cells in the intestinal mucosa.
It is the most frequent neoplasm in the gastro-intestinal tract, and can be prevented by adhering to a careful screening program.

Causes 
The following are typical characteristics of some categories of patients that appear to have a predisposition to malignant tumours of the colon:

• age: the disease develops after the age of 50
• presence of intestinal polyps
• family history of the pathology
• previous presence of colon cancer
• inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• smoking
• obesity
• sedentary lifestyle

Symptoms
The first phase of the disease is purely asymptomatic, but with the passage of time and the development of the tumour mass, the patient may show the following symptoms:

• rectal bleeding
• blood in the stool
• abdominal pain and swelling
• weight loss
• anaemia
• dyspnoea (difficulty breathing)
• diarrhoea or constipation

Treatment
The most suitable therapeutic treatments for the elimination of the tumour mass are of a surgical nature.
The choice of the type of intervention depends on the location of the neoplasm, its size, and stage of development.
In most cases it is possible to resort to minimally invasive endoscopic or laparoscopic treatments.
Chemotherapy or radiotherapy techniques are an integral part of the treatment of rectal tumours.