Dr. Taing Tek Hong, a Florida physician, explained colon cancer Thursday for "Hello VOA" listeners.

Taing, a regular guest on the show, outlined risks, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and screening.

One listener asked whether eating hot peppers damaged the stomach or intestine. Chilies create problems for hemorrhoid sufferers, Taing said, but protect against ulcers.

One caller said he experienced stomach pain and bloating when drinking cola and asked whether the gas bubbles were the cause. Taing said it wasn't the gas but the sugar.

One woman asked Taing why cancer returns even after a breast is removed. That condition was metastasis, a spread of cancer from one organ to another, Taing said.

Another listener called to ask how he still had typhoid fever, after treatments up to five years ago. Taing said bacteria remained in the gall bladder, which a doctor may need to remove.