Colon Cancer

Certain factors increase the risk for colon cancer, and identifying them early in a consultation changes how we approach screening.

• Age past 45 is the single biggest factor, though we're now seeing colon cancer in patients in their early 30s more than we used to - a shift that's changing how we counsel younger patients with symptoms
• A diet heavy in red meat, fried food, and refined carbohydrates, with very little fibre - common in urban Indian eating patterns - is linked to a higher risk
• Family history matters a great deal. A parent or sibling with colon cancer roughly doubles your own risk
• Long-standing inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis, carries an elevated lifetime risk
• Type 2 diabetes and obesity are both increasingly common across urban lifestyles
• Tobacco use in any form, along with regular alcohol intake, adds up over years of exposure
• A largely sedentary routine - long commutes, desk jobs, little walking - raises risk even in patients who otherwise eat reasonably well

Early colon cancer usually causes no symptoms that a patient would notice. By the time someone walks into a hospital with visible blood in the stool or unexplained weight loss, the disease has often had time to advance.

We generally recommend that adults above 45 with no particular risk factors speak to their doctor about screening. If there's a family history of colon cancer or polyps, we bring that forward - screening from age 40, or ten years earlier than the age at which a close relative was diagnosed, whichever comes first.

• Colonoscopy remains the standard test.
• Faecal occult blood testing is simple and non-invasive, picking up blood in the stool that isn't visible otherwise.
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy examines only the lower colon and is sometimes used when a full colonoscopy isn't immediately practical

• A change in bowel habit that persists - looser stools, more frequent trips, or constipation - lasting beyond a couple of weeks without an obvious reason
• Blood in the stool, bright red or dark, should never be dismissed as "just piles" without being checked
• Ongoing abdominal cramping, bloating, or discomfort that doesn't settle
• A sense that the bowel hasn't emptied fully, even right after passing stool
• Weight loss you can't explain through diet or activity
• Unusual tiredness or paleness, which can point to anaemia from slow internal blood loss
• Severe pain, inability to pass stool, or vomiting needs emergency attention, not a wait-and-watch approach

We start with a careful history and physical examination, and the tests that follow depend on the patient's symptoms, age, and risk profile.

• Colonoscopy is usually our first step - it allows direct visualisation, biopsy of anything suspicious, and polyp removal in one procedure
• CT colonography is an option for patients who cannot safely undergo a standard colonoscopy
• Biopsy and histopathology confirm whether the tissue is cancerous and help characterise the tumour
• CT imaging of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis helps us stage the disease, checking whether it has spread beyond the colon
• Blood markers such as CEA support staging and are useful for tracking treatment response over time

Treatment is shaped almost entirely by stage. Caught early, colon cancer is highly curable - and even in more advanced stages, we have meaningful options to extend and improve quality of life.

• Surgical removal of the affected segment (colectomy) remains the core treatment for localized disease, and the bowel can often be rejoined without a permanent stoma
• Laparoscopic surgery is available for suitable patients, offering quicker recovery and smaller incisions than open surgery
• Chemotherapy may be used before surgery to shrink a tumour, or afterward to reduce recurrence risk
• Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are increasingly relevant for advanced cases, particularly where a biopsy identifies specific molecular markers
• Palliative and supportive care remain central for advanced-stage patients, focused on comfort and quality of life alongside ongoing treatment

Doctors at our Department of Gastroenterology & GI Surgery work as one team to provide the best colon cancer treatment in Navi Mumbai. We are there to support a patient's journey - from the first colonoscopy to surgery, chemotherapy, and follow-up care.

• Experienced gastroenterologists and GI surgeons manage diagnosis and treatment together, under one roof
• Advanced endoscopy and colonoscopy facilities support both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in a single visit, where possible
• Every complex case goes through a multidisciplinary review, bringing surgical, oncological, and pathology opinions together
• Structured follow-up after treatment ensures recovery is monitored and any recurrence is caught as early as possible