as i am in my late 30's only(?), my doctor is puzzled that i being younger to exhibit symptoms of the disease...am the youngest in the brood of 5 and the only one in the family to have it (or any cancer for that matter)..the rest of my siblings will follow suit w/ colonoscopy soon...any of them may be positive w/c worries me more...please help me clarify this notion medical people or not...thank you...
2007-07-10 23:59:22 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
No one knows the answer to this question. It is possible that malignant cells can remain dormant in the body, this happens to cancer patients who experience relapse. So, it may not be a slow cancer you are describing but a dormant cancer cell that has not yet begun to grow. At some point, perhaps age . . or some carcingoen . . or hormones . . something triggers that dormant cell to begin growing uncontrollably. But, it is not clear why.
My son has a rare cancer that seemed to come out of nowhere. He actually had a well physical in December of that year so he could play sports. He had a complete physical and was found healthy. A month later in January he was not recovering from the flu. By early March he was diagnosed with stage IV sarcoma. I asked this same question . . could this have started when he was really little and been growing all along? And, I was told, probably not . . that the cancer can absolutely grow that aggressively and fast in only a few months. Since that time I have met other patients with this disease . . sometimes the cancer grows in as little as weeks . . but sometimes for unknown reasons it will sit dormant and not grow at all.
2007-07-11 03:25:18 · answer #1 · answered by Panda 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some colon cancers are slow growers and would exist many years before symptoms showed up. Hubby has colon cancer diagnosed at 42, started in the appendix and estimated to have taken 5 - 10 years to grow to the stage where it burst the appendix.
Others are faster growing.
Even with the slow growers, 50's is not always the age of diagnosis. Talking with others in the chemo ward, many there are in their 60's and 70's and only recently diagnosed. So even if their tumours took 15 years to get going, that means they didn't START until 50's. Colon cancer is rare in the under 60's according to our oncologist. So you and my hubby are rather special :-)
They have only just found a genetic marker for higher risk of colon cancer (read the article last weekend). So far, they are still not certain that there is a familial link - research is still ongoing and patients in UK (and I think US) are being asked to participate in a study to give their family history plus blood tests so that the familial links can be investigated.
Colon cancer is very treatable if found early. By having colonoscopy when there are no symptoms, there is a good chance that IF cancer is found it will be early stage.
But try to focus on the postive - just because you have cancer, does not mean your older siblings do too. Just that they get the chance to have a thorough check-over (oh, how they will be looking forward to that colonoscopy, *ahem*) Hubby's older sister is fine.
good luck!
2007-07-11 09:03:34 · answer #2 · answered by heckenhocker 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a broad generalization the statement has an element of truth, but as you have experienced there are many exceptions.
Many persons, especially those with a family history of colon cancer, have pre-cancerous polyps in their colon. In most individuals these grow very slowly. Some never become cancerous, some become cancerous in the late '40's and beyond. Most still grow slowly, but eventually they spread into the mesenteric lymph nodes and from there to the liver.
These pre-cancerous polyps can be removed via colonoscopy. Protocols differ, but one is that persons with no family history of colon cancer should have a colonoscopy every 10 years after age 40; if family history is positive, every 5 years; and if polyps are found, 3 years after that. Your gastroenterologist or the American Cancer Society is a better source of information.
2007-07-11 00:44:52 · answer #3 · answered by greydoc6 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The hyperlink has info on household historical past, great scan (colonoscopy), symptoms, and other information. Early levels as a rule have no signs. Ready to become aware of blood might be waiting too long -- colo-rectal cancer is the 2nd leading reason of melanoma deaths. Don't wait. Insist on a colonoscopy by means of an skilled healthcare professional. Excellent luck to you.
2016-08-04 04:23:59 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
often they do happen steadily and are very often intermittent, plenty so as that sufferers often fail to checklist some warning signs or whilst they began. appropriate colon cancers are many times the exception. as quickly as the tumor starts off to hinder the indications enhance and become consistent.
2016-09-29 12:20:53 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are no symptoms for colon cancer, that is why screening is so important
2007-07-11 00:08:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is growing dubling, so its later age will be less and exractly it is fast depending cells cound
2007-07-11 00:10:18 · answer #7 · answered by keral 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋