Page contents
- What is colorectal cancer?
- symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
Colorectal cancer is a term used for malignant tumors of the large intestine and rectum. These tumors are treated as one disease, although they differ from each other in terms of biological and therapeutic terms.
Colorectal cancer is a painful health problem. It is very common and has a high morbidity and mortality rate of up to 50% of patients who develop it.
The prevalence of this type is the highest among the cancerous diseases that cause deaths, as more than 3,000 new cases appear in one year, but if colorectal cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, the chance of recovery is close to zero, while if the diagnosis is made at an early stage, The cure rate is more than 95%.
Colorectal cancer affects both sexes in approximately equal proportion, which is 55% of cases among men and 45% among women. It should be emphasized that it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle from a relatively early age; Because the development of this disease begins at the age of 20-30 years.
Colorectal cancer stages
The most prominent stages include the following:
phase zero
For lesions that are in stage 0, also known as carcinoma in situ, the disease remains within the lining of the colon or rectum. The lesions are pre-cancerous, not cancers.
The first stage
Stage I colorectal cancers have grown into the intestinal wall, but have not spread beyond its muscular envelope or to nearby lymph nodes.
The second phase
Stage II is divided into three smaller stages, but in all stage II lesions the cancer has not yet reached the lymph nodes. Usually, the only treatment for this stage of colon cancer is surgical removal.
third level
Stage III colorectal cancer is an advanced stage of cancer in which the disease has spread to the lymph nodes.
The fourth stage
For stage 4 colorectal cancer patients, the disease may have spread to distant organs, such as the liver, lungs, or ovaries.
Symptoms of colon and rectal cancer
The primary symptoms of colorectal cancer can be characterized by any or all of the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea, constipation or any change in bowel function.
- Bleeding from the rectum.
- Anemia without cause.
- Large intestine obstruction.
- Abdominal pain.
- Weight loss for no apparent reason.
Causes and risk factors for colorectal cancer
The following is an explanation of the main causes and risk factors for colon cancer:
1. Causes of colon cancer
Doctors aren't sure what causes most colon cancers. In general, colon cancer begins when changes in the DNA of healthy cells occur in the colon. A cell's DNA contains a set of instructions that tell the cell what to do.
2. Colon cancer risk factors
Colorectal cancer appears at the age of 50 years, as the percentage of patients who suffer from it rises sharply after this age, meaning that age is the most important risk factor, and the most prominent other risk factors include the following:
- Follow a diet rich in proteins and fats from animal sources.
- Excessive consumption of calories.
- smoking.
- Excessive alcohol consumption.
- The development of colorectal cancer is caused by a combination of environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors as well as genetics.
- Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis.
- Exposure to radiation and other toxic substances.
- Tumors in other organs, especially cancer of the breast and small intestine, increase the risk of developing cancer of the large intestine.
Complications of colorectal cancer
The most notable complications include the following:
- Colon blockage, causing intestinal obstruction.
- The cancer has returned in the colon.
- Cancer has spread to other organs or tissues.
- Colorectal cancer development.
Diagnosis of colorectal cancer
It should be noted that about 75% of new cases of these tumors are asymptomatic. Therefore, since early detection is of paramount importance, an organized plan for early detection must be developed through which this disease can be completely prevented.
The most important diagnostic methods include the following:
1. Colon Cancer Screening
Doctors recommend certain screening tests for healthy people who don't have signs or symptoms to look for signs of colon cancer or noncancerous colon polyps. Detecting colon cancer in its early stages offers the greatest chance of a cure.
2. Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy uses a long, flexible, thin tube connected to a video camera and screen to view the entire colon and rectum. If any suspicious areas are found, your doctor can pass surgical tools through the tube to take tissue samples for analysis and remove polyps.
2. Blood tests
A blood test can't tell you if you have colon cancer, but your doctor may test your blood for clues about your general health, such as kidney and liver function tests.
Colorectal cancer treatment
The main treatment methods include the following:
1. Surgery
It is done when part or all of the colon is removed. During this procedure, the surgeon removes the part of the colon that contains the cancer as well as some of the surrounding area.
Types of surgery include:
- endoscopy
Your surgeon may be able to remove some small, localized cancers with this procedure. They'll insert a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera attached, and will also have an attachment to remove the cancerous tissue.
- Laparoscopic surgery
The surgeon makes several small incisions in the abdomen as this may be an option to remove large polyps.
- Palliative surgery
The goal of this type of surgery is to relieve symptoms. In cases of advanced or untreatable cancers, the surgeon will try to relieve any obstruction in the colon, relieve pain, relieve bleeding and other symptoms.
2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. For people with colorectal cancer, chemotherapy is usually done after surgery when it's used to destroy any remaining cancer cells. Chemotherapy also controls the growth of tumors.
Chemotherapy drugs used to treat colorectal cancer include:
- Capecitabine.
- Fluorouracil (Fluorouracil).
- Oxaliplatin.
- Irinotecan.
3. Radiation therapy
Radiation uses a powerful beam of energy similar to X-rays to target and destroy cancer cells before and after surgery, where radiation therapy usually occurs along with chemotherapy.
Prevention of colorectal cancer
The most important prevention methods include the following:
Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, which may play a role in preventing cancer.
- stop smoking
Talk to your doctor about quitting methods that might work for you.
- Work out most days of the week
Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days, and if you're not active, start slowly and gradually increase your activity up to 30 minutes.
- Maintain a healthy weight
If you're at a healthy weight, work to maintain your weight by combining a healthy diet with daily exercise, but if you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy ways to achieve your goal.
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