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Colon Cancer and The Colorectal Cancer: A Linkage

Although these cancer terms are sometimes used independently the disease is most often linked as colorectal cancer regardless of point of origin. Colorectal cancer develops when the cells that line either organ center begin to grow out of control and generate a cancerous tumor.

Colon Cancer Tests

The virtual colonoscopy is one preferred method of colorectal cancer scan. It is non-invasive and the virtual colonoscopy procedure is simple and at the same time relatively comfortable. The patient is positioned on the scanning table for about 15 minutes or less. The Electron Beam Scanner or EBT scan is sometimes performed with the physician at the patients side presenting a virtual tour of 'inner-space' and with open exchanges of dialog between sites. It is an ideal process not only for diagnosis but also for evaluating the progress being made in treatment. Computed Tomography (CT) scans are also frequently applied in virtual colonoscopy scanning for colorectal cancers.

The colon is a long and muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the bowels and rectum. Sometimes called the large intestine, it is the specialized unit that processes solid body wastes for movement into the bowels and elimination. The rectum itself is the chamber connected to the colon that controls and signals the process of evacuation.

In today's medicine, imaging tests are commonly used to screen for and detect these forms of cancer. The virtual colonoscopy technique chosen by the physicians and specialists most often depends on personal experience and familiarity with the various imaging methods available. The objective is, of course, exact imaging of the organs with as little discomfort as possible for the patient. These images are presented as clear pictures to be 'read' by the doctor. The tests as previously stated may be used to find cancer, determine its degree of advancement, or to check response to surgery or other treatment in progress.

While some tests use x-rays, many now employ radioactive screening in small dosage, ultrasound, or magnetic fields of imaging to view interior activity within the organ under study. The technique called Computed Tomography (CT) scans, employs multiple x-rays taken from various angles over very short time periods. These 'slices' are then collected by computer to allow doctors to examine specific, in-time conditions.

Also available are three-dimensional CT images. This method is also called virtual colonoscopy and it makes possible exact imaging without painful or intrusive consequences for the patient. Magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, produces very clear pictures and it does not include x-rays. A large magnet is used in conjunction with radio waves and computer compilation. Other methods of imaging are ultrasound, angiography, and radionuclide scanning. The later is used to provide images of areas of the inner organs that cannot be seen as clearly with other methods.

Read more about virtual colonoscopies and colon cancer.