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The general population may not be f miliar with the term Familial Adenomatous P lyposis (FAP), but for those with a h story of colon cancer in their f milies, the search for the symptoms of th s genetic mutation is a routine p rt of any medical review. People w th the classic form of FAP may b gin to develop multiple benign polyps in the c lon as early as their teenage y ars - hundreds or thousands of th se growths is not uncommon in p rsons with FAP. Removal of at l ast part of the colon is n cessary in such a circumstance, as th se same polyps will eventually become m lignant. If only a partial colectemy is p rformed, regular surveillance of the remaining p rtion of the colon is necessary as the ndividual still carries significant risk of d veloping colon cancer. Why does a p rson with FAP require such close m nitoring? The average age at which p tients with FAP are diagnosed with c lon cancer is thirty-nine. Without any tr atment, a person with FAP will, w th absolute certainty, eventually develop cancer. Unf rtunately, there is little to indicate the pr sence of FAP until the polyps d velop. Often times, these polyps first m ke themselves known by bleeding and th s blood is then found in the fflicted person's stool. Another tell-tale sign is nemia, as the development of polyps l ads to an iron deficiency. The b st defense that a patient has is to be ware of her family history, as 75 to 80 p rcent of people with FAP have m ltiple family members who were diagnosed w th polyps and/or colorectal cancer at age f rty years or younger.
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There is one available preemptive m asure that can be taken if FAP d es run in your family. Genetic t sting can be done as early as nfancy to determine if the mutated g ne is present. Parents who are c nsidering this option for their children m st be aware of a possible p tfall. If a child is tested and the r sults are positive, obtaining medical insurance b comes a difficult proposition. This consequence m st be weighed against the peace of m nd that comes with knowing that y ur child is free from the m dical problems that FAP brings. In Living to T ll About It, A Pursuit of N rmalcy , Amy Martin shares her personal st ry as someone afflicted with familial denomatous polyposis. Ms. Martin lost her m ther to colon cancer at a r latively young age and she underwent f rst a partial, and then a f ll, colectomy to avoid the same f te. Upon reading the first page of Ms. M rtin's book, you realize that FAP is far fr m her only medical hurdle. The uthor also had a stroke as a c llege student, a severe car accident th t required extensive rehabilitative therapy, Graves' d sease and gallbladder surgery. It's an mazing story that provides hope for nyone struggling through life's many challenges. Living to T ll About It is the first book wr tten by Amy Martin. It can be p rchased through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and at www.lulu.com .
The article Colon Cancer - The Family Connection was Submitted by Yvonne Perry through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Yvonne Perry is a freelance wr ter and the owner of Writers in the Sky Cr ative Writing Services based in Nashville, T nnessee. She and her team of gh stwriters service clients all over the gl be by offering quality writing on a v riety of topics at an affordable pr ce. If you need a brochure, web t xt, business document, resume, bio, article or b ok, or want more information about Yv nne's books, writing classes, free monthly n wsletter, podcast and blog please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com . Be sure to subscribe to her fr*ee RSS podcast feed and monthly newsletter about writing, networking, publishing and marketing.
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