It’s really too early to know what the mayor has, and whether it’s a form of cancer. The reality is that there are hundreds of questions that still require an answer in order to make a diagnosis. Rather, this article looks at what mayor Ford could be suffering from and a discussion about what colon cancer is, and key facts associated with it.
The mayor has suffered some pain for months, meaning his ailment is not entirely an acute issue.
The pain he experienced yesterday was in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen, and there’s a mass somewhere in the abdomen, which may or may not be the left lower quadrant.
“We generally approach these problems anatomically, and we like to divide the abdomen into 4 quadrants,” Global News medical contributor Dr. Samir Gupta said. “Most of the major organs, including the liver, gall bladder, stomach, spleen, and kidneys are in the upper quadrants.”
While that is the case, there is still some risk associated with pain in the lower left quadrant.
“The main structure in the left lower quadrant is really the large bowel, or the descending part of the colon, and what I’m really concerned about is the possibility of a tumor of the colon, ” said Gupta.
What kind of testing will be required to figure this out?
It depends on exactly what the doctors that are treating Ford are seeing.
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“Once we see a mass on the CT scan, the next step is to try to get a tissue sample to figure out what it is definitively,” said Gupta.
If it’s in the colon, a colonoscopy is the next best step.
If it’s outside of the colon, he may require either a needle biopsy, or a small operation to get a sample.
“If it looks like a cancer, doctors will also be scanning other parts of the body to look for signs of spread,” said Gupta.
5 Facts About Colon Cancer
Although again, we don’t know what the mayor has, colon cancer is an important problem and something that is worth talking about.
5. It’s Common
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ontario and the second leading cause of cancer death.
4. Risk Factors
Certain hereditary conditions, and also a family history of colon cancer in a first degree relative are major risk factors. Risk is also increased with heavy drinking, obesity, smoking, long term red meats consumption, and particularly foods cooked at high temperature such as on the barbeque.
3. Screening
Screening is very important, because this cancer can be treated very effectively if it’s discovered early. If you’re 50 or over, you should do a simple home test that looks for traces of blood in your stool, called a Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) every two years. If you have certain risk factors, like a strong family history, you need a colonoscopy.
2. Symptoms
Often it can be silent until it is quite advanced, but symptoms can include black or bloody stool, abdominal pain, thin stools, or a change in bowel habits such as new diarrhea or constipation.
1. Treatment
Treatment really depends on the stage of the cancer. Very early stage cancerous polyps can just be removed during colonoscopy, but more advanced tumors require surgery, usually chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation.
So our thoughts are with Rob Ford’s family tonight, and people out there should talk to their doctors about being screened for colorectal cancer.
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