Colon Cancer Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatments

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Alternative Cancer Treatment Resources

National Center for Complimentry and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov

Traditonal Colon Cancer Resources

National Cancer Institute - Colon an Rectal Cancer
www.cancer.gov/cancer_type
www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo

Johns Hopkins Hereditary Colorectal Cancer
www.hopkins-coloncancer.org
www.coloncancer.org

MD Anderson Hereditary Colon Cancer
www3.mdanderson.org

Colon Cancer Links
www.cancerlinks.org

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Recognizing Colon Cancer Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer include:

• A change in bowel habits

• Diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely

• Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool

• Stools that are narrower than usual

• General abdominal discomfort (frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps)

• Weight loss with no known reason

• Constant tiredness

• Vomiting

These symptoms may be caused by colorectal cancer or by other conditions. It is important to check with a doctor.

National Cancer Institute - Colon Cancer Table of Contents

Quick Menu:

• Introduction
• Understanding the Cancer Process
• The Colon and Rectum
• Understanding Colorectal Cancer
• Colon Cancer: Who's at Risk?
• Colon Cancer: Reducing the Risk
• Detecting Colon Cancer Early
• Recognizing Colon Cancer Symptoms
• Diagnosing Colon Cancer
• Stages of Colon Cancer
• Treatment for Colonl Cancer
• Side Effects
• The Importance of Follow-up Care
• Providing Emotional Support
• Questions for Your Doctor
• National Cancer Institute Information Resources

Introduction

The diagnosis of cancer of the colon or rectum, also called colorectal cancer, raises many questions and a need for clear, understandable answers. We hope this National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet will help. It provides information on the symptoms, detection and diagnosis, and treatment, in addition to information on possible causes and prevention of cancers of the colon and rectum. Having this important information can make it easier for patients and their families to handle the challenges they face.

Cancer research has led to real progress against colorectal cancer -- a lower chance of death and an improved quality of life for people with this disease. The Cancer Information Service and the other NCI resources listed in the "National Cancer Institute Information Resources" section can provide the latest, most accurate information on colorectal cancer. Publications mentioned in this booklet and others are available from the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER. Many NCI publications are also available on the Internet at the Web sites listed in the "National Cancer Information Resources" section at the end of this booklet.

Words that may be new to readers appear in italics. Definitions of these and other terms related to colorectal cancer can be found in the Dictionary. For some words, a "sounds-like" spelling is also given.

Understanding the Cancer Process

Cancer affects our cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it is helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancerous.

The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy and functioning properly. Sometimes, however, the process goes astray -- cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed. The mass of extra cells forms a growth or tumor. Tumors can be either benign or malignant.

• Benign tumors are not cancer. They often can be removed and, in most cases, they do not come back. Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.

• Malignant tumors are cancer. Cells in malignant tumors are abnormal and divide without control or order. These cancer cells can invade and destroy the tissue around them. Cancer cells can also break away from a malignant tumor. They may enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system (the tissues and organs that produce and store cells that fight infection and disease). This process, called metastasis, is how cancer spreads from the original (primary) tumor to form new (secondary) tumors in other parts of the body.

The Colon and Rectum

The colon and rectum are parts of the body's digestive system, which removes nutrients from food and stores waste until it passes out of the body. Together, the colon and rectum form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine (also called the large bowel). The colon is the first 6 feet of the large intestine, and the rectum is the last 8 to 10 inches.

Colon, rectum, and other parts of digestive system

Understanding Colon Cancer

Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Cancers affecting either of these organs may also be called colorectal cancer.

Colon Cancer: Who's at Risk?

The exact causes of colorectal cancer are not known. However, studies show that the following risk factors increase a person's chances of developing colorectal cancer:

• Age. Colorectal cancer is more likely to occur as people get older. This disease is more common in people over the age of 50. However, colorectal cancer can occur at younger ages, even, in rare cases, in the teens.

• Diet. Colorectal cancer seems to be associated with diets that are high in fat and calories and low in fiber. Researchers are exploring how these and other dietary factors play a role in the development of colorectal cancer. (editor's note: Herbs are a type of food can that enhance the nutrition in your diet.)

• Polyps. Polyps are benign growths on the inner wall of the colon and rectum. They are fairly common in people over age 50. Some types of polyps increase a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer.

  A rare, inherited condition, called familial polyposis, causes hundreds of polyps to form in the colon and rectum. Unless this condition is treated, familial polyposis is almost certain to lead to colorectal cancer.

• Personal medical history. Research shows that women with a history of cancer of the ovary, uterus, or breast have a somewhat increased chance of developing colorectal cancer. Also, a person who has already had colorectal cancer may develop this disease a second time.

• Family medical history. First-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) of a person who has had colorectal cancer are somewhat more likely to develop this type of cancer themselves, especially if the relative had the cancer at a young age. If many family members have had colorectal cancer, the chances increase even more.

• Ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a condition in which the lining of the colon becomes inflamed. Having this condition increases a person's chance of developing colorectal cancer.

Risk Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer Age Diet Polyps Personal History Family History Ulcerative Colitis

Having one or more of these risk factors does not guarantee that a person will develop colorectal cancer. It just increases the chances. People may want to talk with a doctor about these risk factors. The doctor may be able to suggest ways to reduce the chance of developing colorectal cancer and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.

Colon Cancer: Reducing the Risk

The National Cancer Institute supports and conducts research on the causes and prevention of colorectal cancer. Research shows that colorectal cancer develops gradually from benign polyps. Early detection and removal of polyps may help to prevent colorectal cancer. Studies are looking at smoking cessation, use of dietary supplements, use of aspirin or similar medicines, decreased alcohol consumption, and increased physical activity to see if these approaches can prevent colorectal cancer. Some studies suggest that a diet low in fat and calories and high in fiber can help prevent colorectal cancer.

Researchers have discovered that changes in certain genes (basic units of heredity) raise the risk of colorectal cancer. Individuals in families with several cases of colorectal cancer may find it helpful to talk with a genetic counselor. The genetic counselor can discuss the availability of a special blood test to check for a genetic change that may increase the chance of developing colorectal cancer. Although having such a genetic change does not mean that a person is sure to develop colorectal cancer, those who have the change may want to talk with their doctor about what can be done to prevent the disease or detect it early.

Detecting Colon Cancer Early

People who have any of the risk factors described under "Colorectal Cancer: Who's at Risk?" should ask a doctor when to begin checking for colorectal cancer, what tests to have, and how often to have them. The doctor may suggest one or more of the tests listed below. These tests are used to detect polyps, cancer, or other abnormalities, even when a person does not have symptoms. Your health care provider can explain more about each test.

• A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a test used to check for hidden blood in the stool. Sometimes cancers or polyps can bleed, and FOBT is used to detect small amounts of bleeding.

• A sigmoidoscopy is an examination of the rectum and lower colon (sigmoid colon) using a lighted instrument called a sigmoidoscope.

• A colonoscopy is an examination of the rectum and entire colon using a lighted instrument called a colonoscope.

• A double contrast barium enema (DCBE) is a series of x-rays of the colon and rectum. The patient is given an enema with a solution that contains barium, which outlines the colon and rectum on the x-rays.

• A digital rectal exam (DRE) is an exam in which the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for abnormal areas.

Recognizing Colon Cancer Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer include:

• A change in bowel habits

• Diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely

• Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool

• Stools that are narrower than usual

• General abdominal discomfort (frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps)

• Weight loss with no known reason

• Constant tiredness

• Vomiting

These symptoms may be caused by colorectal cancer or by other conditions. It is important to check with a doctor.

Diagnosing Colon Cancer

To help find the cause of symptoms, the doctor evaluates a person's medical history. The doctor also performs a physical exam and may order one or more diagnostic tests.

• X-rays of the large intestine, such as the DCBE, can reveal polyps or other changes.

• A sigmoidoscopy lets the doctor see inside the rectum and the lower colon and remove polyps or other abnormal tissue for examination under a microscope.

• A colonoscopy lets the doctor see inside the rectum and the entire colon and remove polyps or other abnormal tissue for examination under a microscope.

• A polypectomy is the removal of a polyp during a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.

• A biopsy is the removal of a tissue sample for examination under a microscope by a pathologist to make a diagnosis.

Stages of Colorectal Cancer

If the diagnosis is cancer, the doctor needs to learn the stage (or extent) of disease. Staging is a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body. More tests may be performed to help determine the stage. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment. Listed below are descriptions of the various stages of colorectal cancer.

• Stage 0. The cancer is very early. It is found only in the innermost lining of the colon or rectum.

• Stage I. The cancer involves more of the inner wall of the colon or rectum.

• Stage II. The cancer has spread outside the colon or rectum to nearby tissue, but not to the lymph nodes. (Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are part of the body's immune system.)

• Stage III. The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, but not to other parts of the body.

• Stage IV. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Colorectal cancer tends to spread to the liver and/or lungs.

• Recurrent. Recurrent cancer means the cancer has come back after treatment. The disease may recur in the colon or rectum or in another part of the body.

Treatment for Colorectal Cancer

Treatment depends mainly on the size, location, and extent of the tumor, and on the patient's general health. Patients are often treated by a team of specialists, which may include a gastroenterologist, surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist. Several different types of treatment are used to treat colorectal cancer. Sometimes different treatments are combined.

• Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. Generally, the surgeon removes the tumor along with part of the healthy colon or rectum and nearby lymph nodes. In most cases, the doctor is able to reconnect the healthy portions of the colon or rectum. When the surgeon cannot reconnect the healthy portions, a temporary or permanent colostomy is necessary. Colostomy, a surgical opening (stoma) through the wall of the abdomen into the colon, provides a new path for waste material to leave the body. After a colostomy, the patient wears a special bag to collect body waste. Some patients need a temporary colostomy to allow the lower colon or rectum to heal after surgery. About 15 percent of colorectal cancer patients require a permanent colostomy.

• Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given to destroy any cancerous cells that may remain in the body after surgery, to control tumor growth, or to relieve symptoms of the disease. Chemotherapy is a systemic therapy, meaning that the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body. Most anticancer drugs are given by injection directly into a vein (IV) or by means of a catheter, a thin tube that is placed into a large vein and remains there as long as it is needed. Some anticancer drugs are given in the form of a pill.

• Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is a local therapy, meaning that it affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. Most often it is used in patients whose cancer is in the rectum. Doctors may use radiation therapy before surgery (to shrink a tumor so that it is easier to remove) or after surgery (to destroy any cancer cells that remain in the treated area). Radiation therapy is also used to relieve symptoms. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from an implant (a small container of radioactive material) placed directly into or near the tumor (internal radiation). Some patients have both kinds of radiation therapy.

• Biological therapy, also called immunotherapy, uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. The immune system finds cancer cells in the body and works to destroy them. Biological therapies are used to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune system's natural anticancer function. Biological therapy may be given after surgery, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Most biological treatments are given by injection into a vein (IV).

• Clinical trials (research studies) to evaluate new ways to treat cancer are an appropriate option for many patients with colorectal cancer. In some studies, all patients receive the new treatment. In others, doctors compare different therapies by giving the promising new treatment to one group of patients and the usual (standard) therapy to another group.

Research has led to many advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Through research, doctors explore new ways to treat cancer that may be more effective than the standard therapy. The NCI publication Taking Part in Clinical Trials: What Cancer Patients Need To Know provides information about how these studies work. PDQ®, NCI's cancer information database, contains detailed information about ongoing studies for colorectal cancer. NCI's Web site includes a section on clinical trials at cancer.gov/clinical_trials. This section provides both general information about clinical trials and detailed information about specific ongoing studies for colorectal cancer.

The NCI's Cancer.gov™ Web site provides information from numerous NCI sources, including PDQ®, NCI's cancer information database. PDQ contains current information on cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, genetics, supportive care, and ongoing clinical trials. Cancer.gov can be accessed at www.cancer.gov on the Internet.

Cancer Treatment Side Effects

The side effects of cancer treatment depend on the type of treatment and may be different for each person. Most often the side effects are temporary. Doctors and nurses can explain the possible side effects of treatment. Patients should report severe side effects to their doctor. Doctors can suggest ways to help relieve symptoms that may occur during and after treatment.

• Surgery causes short-term pain and tenderness in the area of the operation. Surgery for colorectal cancer may also cause temporary constipation or diarrhea. Patients who have a colostomy may have irritation of the skin around the stoma. The doctor, nurse, or enterostomal therapist can teach the patient how to clean the area and prevent irritation and infection.

• Chemotherapy affects normal as well as cancer cells. Side effects depend largely on the specific drugs and the dose (amount of drug given). Common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, diarrhea, and fatigue. Less often, serious side effects may occur, such as infection or bleeding.

• Radiation therapy, like chemotherapy, affects normal as well as cancer cells. Side effects of radiation therapy depend mainly on the treatment dose and the part of the body that is treated. Common side effects of radiation therapy are fatigue, skin changes at the site where the treatment is given, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea. Sometimes, radiation therapy can cause bleeding through the rectum (bloody stools).

• Biological therapy may cause side effects that vary with the specific type of treatment. Often, treatments cause flu-like symptoms, such as chills, fever, weakness, and nausea.

Several useful NCI booklets, including Chemotherapy and You, Radiation Therapy and You, and Eating Hints for Cancer Patients, suggest ways for patients to cope with their side effects during cancer treatment.

The Importance of Follow-up Care

Follow-up care after treatment for colorectal cancer is important. Regular checkups ensure that changes in health are noticed. If the cancer returns or a new cancer develops, it can be treated as soon as possible. Checkups may include a physical exam, a fecal occult blood test, a colonoscopy, chest x-rays, and lab tests. Between scheduled checkups, a person who has had colorectal cancer should report any health problems to the doctor as soon as they appear.

Providing Emotional Support

Living with a serious disease, such as cancer, is challenging. Apart from having to cope with the physical and medical challenges, people with cancer face many worries, feelings, and concerns that can make life difficult. Some people find they need help coping with the emotional as well as the practical aspects of their disease. In fact, attention to the emotional burden of having cancer is often a part of a patient's treatment plan. The support of the health care team (doctors, nurses, social workers, and others), support groups, and patient-to-patient networks can help people feel less alone and upset, and improve the quality of their lives. Cancer support groups provide a setting where cancer patients can talk about living with cancer with others who may be having similar experiences. Patients may want to speak to a member of their health care team about finding a support group. Many also find useful information in NCI fact sheets and booklets, including Taking Time and Facing Forward.

Questions for Your Doctor

This booklet is designed to help you get information you need from your doctor, so that you can make informed decisions about your health care. In addition, asking your doctor the following questions will help you understand your condition better. To help you remember what the doctor says, you may take notes or ask whether you may use a tape recorder. Some people also want to have a family member or friend with them when they talk to the doctor -- to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.

Diagnosis

• What tests can diagnose colorectal cancer? Are they painful?

• How soon after the tests will I learn the results?

• Are my children or other relatives at higher risk for colorectal cancer?

Treatment

• What is the stage of my cancer?

• What treatments are recommended for me?

• Should I see a surgeon? Medical oncologist? Radiation oncologist?

• What clinical trials might be appropriate?

• Will I need a colostomy? Will it be permanent?

• What will happen if I don't have the suggested treatment?

• Will I need to be in the hospital to receive my treatment? For how long?

• How might my normal activities change during my treatment?

• After treatment, how often do I need to be checked? What type of follow-up care should I have?

Side Effects

• What side effects should I expect? How long will they last?

• What side effects should I report? Whom should I call?

The Health Care Team

• Who will be involved with my treatment and rehabilitation? What role will each member of the health care team play in my care?

• What has been your experience in caring for patients with colorectal cancer?

Resources

• Are there support groups in the area with people I can talk to?

• Where can I get more information about colorectal cancer?

National Cancer Institute Information Resources

You may want more information for yourself, your family, and your doctor. The following National Cancer Institute (NCI) services are available to help you.

Telephone

Toll-free:
1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237)
TTY (for deaf and hard of hearing callers): 1-800-332-8615

Internet

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Important Cancer Detoxification Information. Please Read.

Understanding Detoxification by Linda Page, N.D. Ph.D.

What is detoxification?

Our bodies naturally do it every day. Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin. In fact, internal detoxification is one of our body's most basic automatic functions. Just as our hearts beat nonstop and our lungs breathe continuously, so our metabolic processes continuously dispose of accumulated toxic matter. But in our world today, body systems and organs that were once capable of cleaning out unwanted substances are now completely overloaded; thus many unwanted substances stay in our tissues. Our bodies try to protect us from dangerous material by setting it aside, surrounding it with mucous or fat so it won't cause imbalance or trigger an immune reaction. (Your body stores foreign substances in its fatty deposits - a significant reason to keep your diet and body fat low. Some people carry around up to 15 extra pounds of mucous that harbors this waste!)

Ideally, we should live in a pollution-free environment, eat untainted foods and drink pure water. But, since humans are born with a "self-cleaning system," we know this has probably never been possible. Today, it isn't even practical, so the next best thing is to keep pollutants to a minimum and to periodically get rid of them through a detoxification program.

If our bodies can't cleanse us anymore, can we do it through a detox program?

Detoxification through special cleansing diets may be the missing link to disease prevention, especially for immune-compromised diseases like cancer, arthritis, diabetes and fatigue syndromes like candida albicans. Our chemicalized-food diet, with too much animal protein, too much fat, too much caffeine and alcohol radically alters our internal ecosystems. Even if your diet is good, a cleanse can restore body vitality against environmental toxins that pave the way for disease-bearing bacteria, viruses and parasites.

A detox program aims to remove the cause of disease before it makes us ill. It's a time-honored way to keep immune response high, elimination regular, circulation sound, and stress under control, so your body can handle the toxicity it encounters. In the past, detoxification was used either clinically for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, or individually, as a once-a-year mild "spring cleaning" for general health maintenance. Today, a regular detox program two or three times a year makes a big difference not only for health, but for the quality of our lives.

Are detoxification and cleansing the same thing? After a detox, is my body purified?

There is sometimes confusion about these terms because cleansing rituals are so ancient. In cultures like Native American, cleansing was regarded first as a religious practice, purifying the body as a living temple to God. In others, such as Chinese medicine, cleansing was part of preventive health care. Today, and in this book, the terms are used interchangeably.

Why should you detoxify?

Today, Americans are exposed to synthetic, often toxic chemicals on an unprecedented scale. Industrial chemicals and their pollutant run-offs in our water, pesticides, additives in our foods, heavy metals, anesthetics, residues from drugs, and environmental hormones are trapped within the human body in greater concentrations than at any other point in history. Every system of the body is affected, from tissue damage to sensory deterioration.

Many chemicals are so widespread that we are unaware of them. But they have worked their way into our bodies faster than they can be eliminated, and are causing allergies and addictions in record numbers. More than 2 million synthetic substances are known, 25,000 are added each year, and over 30,000 are produced on a commercial scale. Only a tiny fraction are ever tested for toxicity. A lot of them come to us from developing countries that have few safeguards in place. This doesn't even count the secondhand smoke, caffeine and alcohol overload, or daily stress that is an increasing part of our lives.

The molecular structure of many chemical carcinogens interacts with human DNA, so long term exposure may result in metabolic and genetic alteration that affects cell growth, and behavior. World Health Organization research implicates environmental chemicals in 60 to 80% of all cancers. Hormone-disrupting pesticides and pollutants are linked to hormone problems, psychological disorders, birth defects, still births and now breast cancer. As toxic matter saturates our tissues, antioxidants and minerals in vital body fluids are reduced, so immune defenses are thrown out of balance. Circumstances like this are the prime factor in today's immune compromised diseases like candidiasis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chemical oxidation is the other process that allows disease. The oxygen that "rusts" and ages us also triggers free radical activity, a destructive cascade of incomplete molecules that damages DNA and other cell components. And if you didn't have a reason to reduce your animal fat intake before, here is a critical one: oxygen combines with animal fat in body storage cells and speeds up the free radical process.

Almost everyone can benefit from a cleanse. It's one of the best ways to remain healthy in a destructive environment. Not one of us is immune to environmental toxins, and most of us can't escape to a remote, unpolluted habitat. In the last few decades we have become dangerously able to harm the health of our entire planet, even to the point of making it uninhabitable for life. We must develop further and take even larger steps... those of cooperation and support. Mankind and the Earth must work together - to save it all for us all. It starts with us. We can take positive steps to keep our own body systems in good working order so that toxins are eliminated quickly.

We can also take a closer look at our own air, water and food, and keep an ever watchful eye on the politics that control our environment. Legislation on health and the environment follows two pathways in America today...the influence of business and profits, and the demands of the people for a healthy environment and responsible stewardship of the Earth.

Is your body becoming toxic?

Chemicals are polluting the earth's environment faster than the human organism can adapt to them. Toxins are building up and our bodies are becoming filters trapping the pollutants. The current level of chemicals in our air, food and water supply alters us at the most basic level - our enzymes, then spreads throughout every body function to lower our threshold of resistance to disease.
Besides coming into our bodies through every orifice and organ, prolonged mental stress and negative emotions can create internal poisons. A highly processed foods diet, a severely unbalanced diet, or simply too much food overburden elimination systems. Lack of exercise contributes to toxicity, too. The body's natural cleansing cycle of oxygen and vital nutrients depends upon exercise. A stagnant system encourages toxic buildup.

Do you need to detox?

Ask yourself these questions:

· Do you feel congested from too much food or the wrong kinds of food?
· Do you feel lethargic, like you need a good spring cleaning?
· Do you need to eliminate drug residues? Or normalize after illness or hospital stay?
· Do you need a jump start for a healing program?
· Do you need a specific detox program for a serious health problem?
· Do you want to streamline your body processes for more energy?
· Do you need to remove toxins causing a health problem?
· Do you want to prevent disease? Or rest and rejuvenate your whole body?
· Do you want to assist weight loss? Do you want to clear up your skin?
· Do you want to slow aging and improve body flexibility?
· Do you want to improve fertility?

Note: Laboratory tests like stool, urine, blood or liver function, and hair analysis can also shed light on the need for detoxification.

Body signs can tell you that you need to detoxify. We all have different "toxic tolerance" levels. Listen to your body when it starts giving you those "cellular phone calls." If you can keep the amount of toxins in your system below your toxic level, your body can usually adapt and rid itself of them.

Do you have:

· Frequent, unexplained headaches or back or joint pain, or arthritis?
· Chronic respiratory problems, sinus problems or asthma?
· Abnormal body odor, bad breath or coated tongue?
· Food allergies, poor digestion or chronic constipation with intestinal bloating or gas?
· Brittle nails and hair, psoriasis, adult acne, or unexplained weight gain over 10 pounds?
· Unusually poor memory, chronic insomnia, depression, irritability, chronic fatigue?
· Environmental sensitivities, especially to odors?

What benefits can you expect from a good detox?

A detox cleans out body waste deposits, so you aren't running with a dirty engine or driving with the brakes on. After a cleanse, the body starts rebalancing, energy levels rise physically, psychologically and sexually, and creativity begins to expand. You start feeling like a different person - because you are. Your outlook and attitude change, because through cleansing and improved diet, your actual cell make-up has changed.

1) Your digestive tract is cleansed of accumulated waste and fermenting bacteria.
2) Excess mucous and congestion is cleared from the body.
3) Liver, kidney and blood are purified, impossible under ordinary eating patterns.
4) Mental clarity is enhanced, impossible under chemical overload.
5) Dependency on habit-formers like sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol or drugs is less.
6) Bad eating habits are often turned around; the stomach has a chance to reduce to normal size for weight control.
7) Cleansing also releases hormone secretions that coupled with essential fatty acids (EFAs), from fresh plant sources stimulate and strengthen the immune system.

What are the steps in a good detox program?

You've decided your body needs a cleanse. How long can you give out of your busy lifestyle to focus on a cleansing program so that all the processes can be completed? 24 hours, 2 or 3 days, or up to ten days? The time factor is important - you'll want to allot your time ahead of time, and prepare both your mind and your body for the experience ahead.

A good detox program is in 3 steps - cleansing, rebuilding and maintaining.

Years of experience with detoxification have convinced me that if you have a serious health problem, a brief 3 to 7 day juice cleanse is the best way to release toxins from the system. Shorter cleanses can't get to the root of a chronic problem. Longer cleanses upset body equilibrium more than most people are ready to deal with except in a controlled, clinical environment. A 3 to 7 day cleanse can "clean your pipes" of systemic sludge - excess mucous, old fecal matter, trapped cellular and nonfood wastes, or inorganic mineral deposits that contribute to arthritis.

An all-liquid diet is traditionally called a fast. It's not absolutely necessary to take only liquids, but a few days without solid food can be an enlightening experience about your lifestyle. A juice fast increases awareness and energy availability for elimination. Fresh juices literally pick up dead matter from the body and carry it away. Your body becomes easier to "hear," telling you what foods and diet are right for your needs via cravings - a desire for protein foods, or B vitamins or minerals, for example. This is natural biofeedback. Fasting works by self-digestion. During a cleanse, the body decomposes and burns only the substances and tissues that are damaged, diseased or unneeded, such as abscesses, tumors, excess fat deposits, and congestive wastes. Even a relatively short fast accelerates elimination, often causing dramatic changes as masses of accumulated waste are expelled.

You will know your body is detoxing if you experience the short period of headaches, fatigue, body odor, bad breath, diarrhea or mouth sores that commonly accompany accelerated elimination. However, digestion usually improves right away as do many gland and nerve functions. Cleansing also helps release hormone secretions that stimulate immune response and encourages a disease-preventing environment.

What about a water fast?

I don't recommend it. Here's why:

Leading nutritionists and detoxification experts agree that fresh vegetable and fruit juice cleansing is superior to water fasting. Indeed, juice cleansing is an evolution in detoxification methods. Fresh juices, broths and herb teas help deeply cleanse the body, rejuvenate the tissues and guide you to a faster recovery from health problems than water fasting. A traditional water fast is harsh and demanding on your body, even in times before huge amounts of food and environmental toxins were part of the picture. Today, it can even be dangerous. Deeply buried pollutants and chemicals from our tissues are released into elimination channels too rapidly during a water fast. Your body is essentially "re-poisoned" as the chemicals move through the bloodstream all at once. Sometimes, the physical and emotional stress of a water fast even overrides the healing benefits.

Vegetable and fruit juices are alkalizing, so they neutralize uric acid and other inorganic acids, better than water, and increase the healing effects. Juices support better metabolic activity for fasting, too. Metabolic activity slows down during a water fast as the body attempts to conserve dwindling energy resources that further reduce productive cleansing. Juices are very easy on digestion - easily assimilated into the bloodstream. They don't disturb the detoxification process. Of course, making fresh juices at home is preferred.

The first step of your cleanse is elimination.

You'll be cleaning out mucous and toxins from the intestinal tract and major organs. Everything functions more effectively when toxins, obstructions and wastes are removed. Try to drink 8 glasses of water each day of your fast in addition to your juices.

The second step is rebuilding healthy tissue and restoring energy.

With obstacles removed, your body's regulating powers are activated to rebuild at optimum levels. Eat only fresh and simply prepared foods during the rebuilding step. Your diet should be very low in fat, with little dairy (cottage cheese and yogurt are okay), and no fried foods. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and sugars. Avoid meats except fish and sea foods. Include supplements and herbal aids for your specific needs.

The final step is keeping your body clean and toxin-free-very important after all the hard work of detoxification.

Modifying lifestyle habits is the key to a strong resistant body. A diet for health maintenance relies heavily on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, cooked vegetables, grains and seeds for strength and alkalinity, sea foods, soy foods, eggs and low fat cheeses as sources of protein, and lightly cooked sea foods and vegetables with a little dinner wine for circulatory health. A personalized group of supplements and herbal aids, as well as exercise and relaxation techniques, should be included.

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Risk Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer

• Environment, tobacco, alcohol, radiation, infectious agents, chemicals in the air, water, and soil
• Age
• Diet
• Polyps
• Personal History
• Family History
• Ulcerative Colitis

More colon cancer risk info>

Test Your Immune System

Does your immune system need a boost? This test by Dr. Linda Page is quick and easy

Selenium Shows A Decrease in Colon Cancer's Potential

Analysis published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed a progressive decrease in the likelihood of colon cancer recurring with increasing levels of selenium, with a 44-percent reduction for the highest compared with the lowest level. "Selenium supplementation could protect against colon cancer"?

Selenium and Colon Cancer Research

Follow peer reviewed jounals as they cover the lastest colon cancer and selenium research

Nutraceutical Research

• Carotenoids
• Colostrum
• Cranberry
• Elderberry Extract
• Fucoidans, Alginates, Laminarines
• Glyconutrients
• Lo Han Kuo
• Lotus Seed
• Polyphenols

Oxidative stress in colon tissue induced by vitamin E depletion.

Biochem Soc Trans. 2004 Dec;32(Pt 6):979-81.

Inflammatory disorders of the bowel and colon cancer are associated with elevated indices of oxidative stress. Analogous elevations in markers of oxidative stress and loss of cell-membrane integrity are also observed in the colons of rats deficient in vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol), the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in biological systems. The causal relationship between colon pathologies associated with oxidative stress and dietary deficiency in antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E is still uncertain. Investigation of potential mechanisms by which lack of dietary vitamin E may lead to clinically relevant pathological changes in colon tissue was conducted using gene expression profiling strategies on vitamin E-sufficient and -deficient rats. Morphological changes and increased indices of lipid peroxidation were linked to vitamin E deficiency. These changes in colon tissue are potentially important in disease pathogenesis of the colon linked with oxidative stress or other direct consequences of inadequate levels of vitamin E. Credits: Abstract

More Colon Cancer Information

New York Online Access to Health - About Colon Rectal and Anal Cancer
www.noah-health.org

BUPA Health Information
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk

Colon Cancer Concern
www.coloncancer.org.uk

CancerBACUP
www.cancerbacup.org.uk

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia - Colon Cancer Symptoms
www.nlm.nih.gov

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia - Colon Cancer News, Treatments, and Research
http://www.nlm.nih.gov

Colon Cancer News
www.colorectalcancerweek.org

STOP Colon and Rectal Cancer Foundation
www.coloncancerprevention.org

M. D. Anderson Colorectal Cancer portal
www.mdanderson.org

American Gastrological Association
www.gastro.org/

CancerCare - Colon Cancer Support and Counceling
http://www.cancercare.org

The Colon Cancer Project - Conventional, Experimental and Alternative Therapies
http://ourworld.compuserve.com

High Selenium Blood Levels Decrease in the Potential of Colon Cancer

By Joesph Walker, MD

It looks like we have another week chock-full of nutrition news. In a study out this week published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers from the University of Arizona pooled the data from three completed clinical trials to determine the effects of nutritional intervention on cancer recurrence in patients who had undergone colon cancer surgery. After adjusting for other factors, it was found that those individuals with the highest selenium blood levels had a 44% reduction in cancer colon recurrence compared with those individuals with the lowest blood levels. The authors of the study indicated that it is possible that selenium supplementation could, indeed, protect against colon cancer, although they further indicated that it is still not known what form of selenium and what amount would be protective.

Selenium Recommendation

My recommendation for adequate daily selenium intake is well-known in my newsletters. I have written about this repeatedly over the past few years. I have also made mention of an ongoing nationwide study known as the Selenium and Vitamin E Chemoprevention Trial (SELECT), involving the use of selenium and vitamin E in prostate cancer prevention. In the editorial accompanying the study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, it was noted that there are already more than 35,000 men enrolled in this study. Unfortunately, it's estimated that the results of the selenium/vitamin E cancer study will not be known for at least six to eight years. From a scientific standpoint, I suppose it would be important to have definitive, undeniable proof that a particular treatment is useful and safe, but as we learned from the recent Vioxx (and I suspect, soon to be other COX2 inhibitors) disaster, even studying a few thousand patients for two or three years cannot ensure safety. It is clear, however, that selenium taken in its recommended doses of 200 to 600 mcg a day is completely and totally safe, as it has been used by millions of individuals in this country for over two decades.

Selenium's Effect on Prostate Cancer

In terms of selenium's effectiveness, in prior newsletters, I had mentioned two studies on selenium that I will now briefly review again. One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and involving over 1,300 patients showed that in a double-blinded study against placebo, 200 mcg of selenomethionine daily reduced overall cancer incidence by 37 % and reduced cancer mortality by 50%. A subsequent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute from 1998 showed that in over 30,000 men tested for selenium levels, those men with the highest levels reduced their risks of malignant forms of prostate cancer by approximately two thirds. My question is, with a nutrient that is known to be completely safe, as well as one that could potentially reduce the risk of cancer by significant margins, why wouldn't every single doctor be recommending it to his/her patients? The unfortunate answer is that most doctors are not aware of this information.

Alzheimer's prevention - antioxidant quercetin, found in apples

In a second newsworthy study just published in an agricultural and food chemistry journal, researchers from Cornell University, citing the old adage "an apple a day really does keep the doctor away," apparently proved it in an animal study. Rat brain cells exposed to the antioxidant quercetin (found in apples) appeared to inhibit potential damage to brains from chemicals producing free radicals. The brain cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide, which is felt to mimic the type of oxidative damage that may occur in Alzheimer's disease. Those brain cells pretreated with quercetin had significantly less damage compared to those cells treated with only vitamin C or no antioxidants. The lead author of the study indicated that fresh apples have some of the highest levels of quercetin compared to other fruits and vegetables, and may be one of the best food choices for fighting Alzheimer's.

Selenium Supplements

For the last eight years, we have been including a daily dose of 200 mcg of the organic selenomethionine form of selenium in all of our Synergy multi-vitamins and many other nutraceuticals, including OcuPower®, ArthriPower®, NeuroPower®, and NeuroLift® from Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI). Compare this to the typical mass-marketed multi-vitamins, which contain only 20 mcg, or 1/10th the optimal dose of the inorganic form of selenium that is the least effective and cheapest. Additionally, we use significant amounts of the antioxidant quercetin in these products, which prior studies have shown to potentially reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and other degenerative disorders of aging. Check the label of your current multi-vitamin. You may be very disappointed, as most do not have quercetin and/or the level is miniscule. The typical diet supplies just a few milligrams per day of quercetin, whereas NSI recommends 50 - 200 mg per day in supplemental form. So whether you take NSI's Synergy Once-a-Day, Synergy Max, or one of NSI's other nutraceuticals, you can be assured that you are getting excellent doses and forms of these two very important nutrients, along with a host of other antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, standardized herbs, and phytonutrients. If for some reason you cannot take a multi-vitamin, NSI provides an excellent value for selenium in the correct form and dosage as a standalone product. NSI also offers quercetin with vitamin C in both ascorbic acid and Ester-C forms. Vitamin C is very synergistic with quercetin and provides numerous benefits for immune and cardiovascular function.

A Little Selenium Goes a Long Way?

55 micrograms per day for adults, according to the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance. The main dietary sources of selenium in the U.S. are grains.

Meats, seafood, grains, and some nuts (such as Brazil nuts) are good sources of selenium. Foods grown in areas with selenium-rich soils have higher levels of the mineral, but selenium soil deficiency is rare in the U.S.

Selenium Deficiency Increases Severity of Flu Virus in Mice

If young mice are given a diet deficient in selenium and subsequently exposed to a human influenza virus, they get a more severe case of flu than animals fed adequate amounts of this essential trace element.

That’s the finding of a collaborative study by researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill; Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland; and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Beltsville, Md. And it follows the pattern seen in earlier studies with a lesser known virus. This indicates that a selenium deficiency can increase the virulence of a variety of viruses. - ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s primary scientific research agency.