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An Overview of Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer (also referred to as colon cancer) is cancer that originates from either the colon or rectum. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States per year. The colon and rectum make up the final pathway of the gastrointestinal tract; the colon is divided into four sections, the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon. The sigmoid colon then meets the rectum.
Colorectal cancer can have many vague symptoms, but the most notable is a change in bowel movements (reoccurring or persistent diarrhea, constipation, or incontinence), anemia which has no other apparent cause, and blood in the stool. More vague symptoms include abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss. Doctors work to diagnose colorectal cancer by requesting blood tests and colonoscopies. It is extremely important to find colorectal cancer at an early stage, this can be manifested in the body like colon polyps. Colon polyps are abnormal tissue growth in the colon, similar to cysts or benign tumours. A polyp if left untreated can become cancerous.
Although colorectal cancer can occur at any stage in life, it’s more common in patients over 50 years of age. The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is to schedule regular colon screenings, practice proper nutrition, and stay active. Colon screenings are able to detect colon polyps and can be removed during the screening stage to prevent any further development. Nutrition is especially important as diet directly impacts your gastrointestinal health. Ensuring that your diet has an adequate amount of fibre, whole foods, and good quality fats is imperative in preventing colorectal cancer. Obesity is also a factor that puts one at risk for developing colorectal cancer, so staying active and getting exercise in any way will have positive impacts on your overall health.
“Colorectal Cancer Statistics: How Common Is Colorectal Cancer?” American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html#:~:text=for Colorectal Cancer-,How common is colorectal cancer?,new cases of colon cancer.
“Colorectal (Colon) Cancer: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14501-colorectal-colon-cancer#symptoms-and-causes.
“Colon Cancer.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 Dec. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colon-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353674.
“Colorectal Cancer: Symptoms, Treatment, Risk Factors, and Causes.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155598#prevention.
Visualizing the process of digestion in the oldest known animal-microbe symbiosis (https://phys.org/news/2021-02-visualizing-digestion-oldest-animal-microbe-symbiosis.html)
Marine biologists have been able to visualize for the first time how tropical sponges and their symbiotic bacteria work together to consume and recycle organic food. Sponges are the oldest known animal–microbe symbiosis and are found abundantly across the globe, from the canals of Amsterdam to kilometer-deep canyons on the ocean floor. They play an essential role in recycling resources in nutrient-poor ecosystems, such as coral reefs.
"The collaboration between the sponge host and their abundant microbiome in processing food was a mystery," says researcher Meggie Hudspith, who performs her Ph.D. research at the UvA Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics. "Our study used cutting-edge imaging techniques (NanoSIMS) to trace the uptake of dissolved and particulate organic matter by sponges and their symbionts over time."
The authors found that microbial symbionts were actively involved in the processing of dissolved organic nutrients, but that the sponge filter cells were the primary sites of eating and drinking nutrients. Over time, nutrients were transferred from the sponge cells to their symbionts. This indicates that microbes recycle the waste products of the host, ensuring that limited nutrients are retained by the sponge and not expelled into the environment.
An Overview of Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis is a condition where the muscles that line the stomach are partially or fully paralyzed, slowing or halting the digestive process. Normally, the stomach relaxes and contracts to mechanically break down bolus, while gastric juices (a combination of hydrochloric acid, mucus, and digestive enzymes) break down bolus chemically. The bolus, now sterilized and acidic enters the small intestine, where it gradually becomes less acidic. In a patient with gastroparesis, the stomach cannot work adequately to mechanically digest the bolus, lengthening the time the bolus spends in the stomach before it can enter the small intestine. This can cause nausea, vomiting, premature fullness, acid reflux, and can lead to weight loss and malnutrition.
Although there currently is not a cure for gastroparesis, some of the causes have been identified. Certain medications, damage to the vagus nerve, and hypothyroidism are all risk factors for developing gastroparesis. The severity of gastroparesis can alter throughout the course of a patient’s life, but as it does not currently have a cure, it is a lifelong condition. Typically, making lifestyle changes and medications can have a positive effect on the severity of this condition.
Complications can also occur with this condition, some of the most common are dehydration, malnutrition, blood sugar changes, and bezoars. Although some of these complications are common symptoms of different conditions, bezoars are unique to digestive issues. A bezoar is a hardened piece of the bolus that can cause blockages in the digestive system, and usually need to be treated by either chemical dissolution or surgery.
“Gastroparesis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 10 Oct. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355787.
Bezoars By Zubair Malik, et al. “Bezoars - Gastrointestinal Disorders.” Merck Manuals Professional Edition, Merck Manuals, www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/bezoars-and-foreign-bodies/bezoars.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is cancer that impacts the cervix. To understand cervical cancer, you must first understand what cancer is and how it affects the body’s production of cells. Cancer is an illness that causes the body’s cells to divide at an uncontrollable rate. In normal circumstances, the cells in your body will divide at a rate of once per 24 hours. If a cell becomes mutated in this process, the cell will then undergo apoptosis, also referred to as cell death, to prevent the division and accumulation of mutated cells. In cancer cells, mutations continue to divide and do not undergo apoptosis. This can spread to tissues in the body, or create growths called tumours.
Despite what we know about cancer, there are still many unanswered questions. Carcinogens have been discovered, and there are some effective methods of treatment, but the true cause of cancer is largely unknown; hence why there is currently no cure for the disease. A cause of cervical cancer has been discovered though, the human papillomavirus (better known as HPV) has been shown to be one cause of cancer. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can have many symptoms or none at all. Different strains can either go away on their own with no medical intervention, cause genital warts, or cause cancer.
Cervical cancer can be treated in a variety of ways. If a tumour has been identified in the cervix, it can be surgically removed; but unfortunately, some tumours are too complex to operate on. If a tumour is embedded in the cervical tissue, some will choose to undergo a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure where the ovaries, womb, and cervix are removed. Undergoing a hysterectomy can be a good option if the cancer has not metastasized to other parts of the body. Some more common methods of treatment include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“Apoptosis.” Genome.gov, www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/apoptosis#:~:text=Apoptosis is the process of,a role in preventing cancer.
“What Is Cancer?” National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.
“How HPV Relates to Cervical Cancer.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Aug. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cervical-cancer/expert-answers/cervical-cancer/faq-20057909.
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