Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

Can the body function without a large portion of the intestines?  A person has about 20 feet of small intestine and 5 feet of large intestine (the large intestine is larger in diameter than the small intestine, thus its name). He can live quite well without a portion of his small intestine and without his entire large intestine ( colon ). Most digestion actually takes place before food reaches the colon.The colon's function is to absorb the water from the already digested material and to transport waste through its length and store it until it is ready to be expelled from the body. The remaining portions of the colon learn to assume some of the water absorption role of the intestine that was removed. Even though to a layman the removal of a portion of the small intestine or even all of the colon and rectum sounds as though it would make it impossible for the body to function, the fact is that after successful surgery the body adjusts to the loss of the large or small intestine an...

What is a polyp? A polyp is a growth originating from the mucous membranes of the colon (polyps also occur in the bladder , uterus, nose, etc.). They are very common, occurring in 10 to 15 percent of all adults. Usually they cause few symptoms and are most often found during routine intestinal examinations. Cure, through removal, entails little surgical risk. If cancer is found in the polyp, the area surrounding it is removed. Painless rectal bleeding is the most frequent symptom of a polyp. Because some polyps have a tendency to become cancerous, their removal is recommended by many doctors. How do doctors remove polyps from colon? This depends on where the polyp is located. If it is within 8 inches of the rectal opening, it can be removed with a sigmoidoscope through the rectum either burned off or clipped and removed through the rectum. With improved techniques of colonoscopy almost any polyp with a "stalk" can be removed through a colonoscope. Some will still r...