{"id":58557,"date":"2016-04-27T21:44:57","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T19:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/conditions\/colon-cancer\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T20:57:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T18:57:36","slug":"colon-cancer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.darmklachten.nl\/en\/conditions\/colon-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Colon cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Definition of colon cancer<\/h2>\n

Colon cancer is a tumour that develops from the wall of the large intestine. The cancer cells often develop from a polyp. Colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the Netherlands. In 2015, an estimated 14,400 people were diagnosed with colon cancer. The number of cases of colon cancer increases every year. The cancer can develop in the large intestine and in the rectum. Colon cancer<\/strong> occurs almost exclusively in people over the age of 50. If colon cancer develops at the age of 75 or older, people often do not die from it.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”bullet_blue”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Stages of colon cancer<\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]Colon cancer begins with changes in the cells of the intestinal mucosa. These accumulate to form a polyp (adenoma). Further changes then occur in the cells of the polyp. Eventually, cancer cells develop from these changes; these are referred to as adenocarcinoma.
\nWith chronic inflammation, the cells of the intestinal mucosa change and \u2018degenerate\u2019 or \u2018disorganised\u2019 cells may develop. At an early stage this is referred to as dysplasia. This process can progress to cancer growth and form a dysplasia carcinoma. The progression of colon cancer is classified into stages I through IV. At present, in half of people with colon cancer, the cancer is not detected until a late stage (stage III or IV). Although stool testing misses many diagnoses, it does offer the possibility of detecting cancer in time. A diagnosis made at an early stage saves lives.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]\"Colon<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Lynch syndrome<\/h2>\n

The most common hereditary form of colon cancer<\/strong> is Lynch syndrome, or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC-Lynch). In 5% of all colon-cancer cases, a hereditary factor is present and Lynch syndrome is involved. Hereditary colon cancer usually develops before the age of 50, whereas non-hereditary colon cancer usually occurs after the age of 50.<\/p>\n

With Lynch syndrome too, the cancer develops from an intestinal polyp. One difference from non-hereditary colon cancer is that the tumour is located at the beginning of the large intestine, at the transition to the small intestine. Lynch syndrome is associated with a slightly increased risk of cancer of the small intestine, bladder or renal pelvis.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Symptoms of colon cancer<\/h2>\n

Symptoms may include:<\/p>\n