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Rectal cancer
Has rectal cancer progressed to the advanced stage with vomiting?
Patients with rectal cancer who experience vomiting do not necessarily indicate that their condition has reached an advanced stage; the situation needs to be differentiated and treated accordingly. If nausea and vomiting are due to the gastrointestinal side effects of antitumor treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it is unrelated to the severity of rectal cancer. Appropriate antiemetic treatment can provide significant relief. If a rectal cancer patient experiences projectile vomiting due to brain metastases, which lead to an increase in intracranial pressure, it indicates that the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Some rectal cancer patients may also experience vomiting due to gastrointestinal obstruction caused by the tumor, accompanied by cessation of bowel movements and gas, which are also signs of advanced disease.
Which is more serious, anal canal cancer or rectal cancer?
Rectal cancer and anal canal cancer both belong to the category of malignant tumors of the digestive system, with anal canal cancer generally considered a type of rectal cancer, primarily occurring at the anal canal close to the anus. Comparatively, anal canal cancer is somewhat more serious than rectal cancer. Clinically, the closer the tumor is to the anus, the potentially higher the malignancy, meaning more severe. However, subsequent treatment outcomes also need to be considered. Both anal canal cancer and rectal cancer can be considered for curative surgery. If the cancer is very close to the anus and an anus-preserving surgery is not feasible, further colostomy surgery may be required.
Early symptoms of rectal cancer
The early symptoms of rectal cancer generally include five main signs: The first early symptom is bloody stool, which is the earliest and most common symptom of rectal cancer. The second symptom is mucous bloody stool. Large cauliflower-like tumor masses generally secrete a large amount of mucus, which can cause mucous bloody stool. The third is a change in bowel habits. What does a change in bowel habits mean? It means that sometimes there can be diarrhea, sometimes constipation, or an alternation of constipation and diarrhea, indicating a change in bowel habits. There can even be changes in the shape of the stool, which is the third symptom. The fourth symptom is a feeling of heaviness or fullness in the perineum or anus. The fifth symptom can cause abdominal pain. It can cause pain in the lower abdomen, a sensation of a foreign body in the intestine, and even bloating. For instance, constipation can lead to difficulty in passing stool, which in turn can cause bloating and abdominal pain. These are primarily the five early symptoms.
Difference between hemorrhoids bleeding and rectal cancer bleeding
The difference between bleeding from hemorrhoids and rectal cancer is distinct. For hemorrhoids, bleeding is mostly painless and intermittent, primarily manifesting as bright red blood either dripping or spraying into the toilet bowl. Patients may even experience significant blood loss, potentially leading to shock. On the other hand, bleeding from rectal cancer usually involves blood mixed with stool and generally does not involve large volumes. Most patients present with dark-edged stool. Anemia is often detected during routine blood tests, which leads to further investigation with a colonoscopy that may reveal rectal cancer. Therefore, the bleeding characteristics of the two conditions are different. In cases where rectal cancer is suspected, proactive endoscopic examinations are recommended to confirm the diagnosis through tissue pathology, followed by aggressive surgical treatment.
Hemorrhoids bleeding and rectal cancer bleeding
Hemorrhoids or colorectal cancer can both cause local bleeding in the anal area, but there are clear differences between hemorrhoidal bleeding and colorectal cancer bleeding in clinical practice. Hemorrhoidal bleeding is mostly bright red and does not mix with the stool; it is separate bleeding. It may manifest as blood on the finger, or as dripping or spurting blood. Colorectal cancer bleeding, on the other hand, is generally dark red and mixes with the stool, sometimes accompanied by pus and blood. Bleeding from colorectal cancer mainly occurs in the late stages of the disease, usually caused by local mucosal ulceration or tumor rupture. During hemorrhoidal bleeding, an anal scope examination can reveal clear bleeding points above and below the dentate line, while bleeding from colorectal cancer requires examination with an electronic colonoscope to observe the local tumor area, which may show mucosal damage or ulcers.
Can a colonoscopy detect rectal cancer?
Colonoscopy can detect colon and rectal cancer. It is the most important and primary method for examining colonic mucosal lesions. The large intestine includes the cecum, colon, and rectum. Colonoscopy allows direct visual inspection of lesions, including the size and color of the lesions, and whether there are ulcers and erosion, the nature of any attachments, etc. It also allows for direct biopsy. Firstly, it can assess the texture of the lesion, such as whether it is soft, hard, or brittle. Moreover, the biopsied sample can be analyzed histologically to determine the benign or malignant nature, depth of infiltration, etc. Different pathological characteristics have different prognoses and treatment methods, suitable for early cancers treatable under endoscopy, or those that can be removed during the process of the colonoscopy.
Is the survival rate for rectal cancer high?
Rectal cancer is primarily a malignant tumor, and there are individual differences in treatment, even differing biological behaviors. Some people discover it early, while others find it later, sometimes even with multiple metastases. If it is diagnosed in a later stage, naturally, the patient's survival period is shorter. Surgical treatment of rectal cancer is one aspect, and subsequent measures to possibly extend the patient's survival include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, etc.
Is chemotherapy effective for late-stage rectal cancer?
Late-stage rectal cancer is primarily due to the metastasis and proliferation of cancer cells. At this stage, surgery alone cannot completely eliminate cancer cells, so chemotherapy is necessary. Chemotherapy has certain effects clinically, especially in patients who are sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, where the effects are more pronounced. This can control the spread of cancer cells in multiple locations and can, to some extent, improve patient survival rates. For patients, it is important to maintain good health, enhance their immune system, consume foods rich in high-quality proteins, and engage in appropriate exercise. Moreover, maintaining a positive mindset is beneficial for extending life. Additionally, patients can integrate traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as complementary therapies, which can also potentially improve postoperative survival rates.
Is rectal cancer without metastasis curable?
Can rectal cancer without metastases be treated successfully? If rectal cancer has not metastasized, its prognosis and outcome are relatively much better compared to cases where there are metastases and recurrences. If surgery is performed for rectal cancer and there is no recurrence or metastasis afterwards, then the five-year survival rate is naturally higher. However, if rectal cancer is initially treated surgically and cleaned thoroughly but then quickly recurs, with liver metastases, lung metastases, etc., then the five-year survival rate would be much lower. Therefore, if rectal cancer has not metastasized, the treatment and prognosis are much better. Thus, if there is no liver or lung metastasis in rectal cancer, the treatment is relatively easier.
Does rectal cancer require chemotherapy?
The question of whether chemotherapy is necessary for rectal cancer needs to be analyzed specifically, taking into account factors such as the patient's physical condition, pathological staging, and whether the surgery was completely successful. Chemotherapy for colorectal cancer can be divided into adjuvant chemotherapy and palliative chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer, and it can also serve to enhance the effects of radiotherapy. For low rectal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy can be administered if the tumor cannot be directly removed, followed by surgery after the treatment. If surgery is possible for rectal cancer, and there is lymph node metastasis or the pathological stage is relatively advanced, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can be performed. Therefore, the need for chemotherapy in cases of rectal cancer should ideally be assessed at a specialized oncology department in a hospital to provide a detailed analysis and evaluation by oncologists.