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Rectal cancer
What causes rectal cancer?
Rectal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system. The causes of rectal cancer in clinical practice include the following: First, some benign diseases of the rectum, such as adenomatous polyps, are precancerous lesions of rectal cancer. Second, genetic factors also play an important role in the incidence of rectal cancer. Epidemiological surveys show that the incidence of rectal cancer is significantly higher in populations with a family history of rectal cancer. Third, chronic inflammatory diseases of the rectum, such as ulcerative rectitis and Crohn's disease, can also lead to a significantly higher incidence of rectal cancer compared to the general population. Fourth, the incidence of rectal cancer is also somewhat related to viral infections of the rectum or radioactive damage.
Could rectal bleeding without pain be rectal cancer?
When experiencing painless rectal bleeding, it’s first important to consider hemorrhoids as the cause. Hemorrhoid bleeding typically presents as bright red blood, occurring mostly after defecation, and is painless and intermittent. Hemorrhoid bleeding may arise from inappropriate diet or excessive fatigue from staying up late. In contrast, bleeding from rectal cancer tends to be less in volume and often mixes with the stool, accompanied by increased frequency of defecation, mucus in the stool, changes in stool characteristics, or abdominal pain. Clinically, to rule out rectal cancer, it is often recommended that patients undergo a colonoscopy to check for any masses in the intestines. If a mass is present, a biopsy can determine if it's cancerous. Patients with rectal cancer generally exhibit symptoms like weight loss and anemia. Thus, for painless rectal bleeding, hemorrhoids are more generally considered, rather than rectal cancer at first thought.
What are the symptoms of stage 1, 2, 3, and 4 rectal cancer?
Patients in stage I of rectal cancer mostly show no symptoms, with a few experiencing symptoms such as blood in their stool. Stage II patients generally experience intermittent rectal bleeding and diarrhea, some present with constipation, or mucopurulent and bloody stool. Stage III rectal cancer patients will experience abdominal pain in addition to rectal bleeding, with some showing symptoms of abdominal distension, nausea, and vomiting. Patients with stage IV rectal cancer, in addition to abdominal symptoms, can exhibit symptoms of distant metastases, such as coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing in those with lung metastases, and localized lump pain and mobility impairments in patients with bone metastases.
Is abdominal bloating and bloody stool indicative of rectal cancer?
This situation may not necessarily be rectal cancer; it could also be due to colitis or colorectal polyps, which then cause abdominal bloating and blood in the stool. For patients suspected of having rectal cancer, an initial electronic colonoscopy should be conducted. Abnormal masses can be detected in the rectal area, and a pathological biopsy is required to confirm whether it is rectal cancer. Furthermore, the main clinical symptoms of rectal cancer include an increased frequency of bowel movements, a strong urge to defecate, and more frequent bowel movements. There is also mucus and pus in the stool mixed with blood. For such cases, diagnosis requires an electronic colonoscopy and a pathological biopsy. Additionally, abdominal bloating and blood in the stool could also be due to inherent gastrointestinal dysfunction and internal hemorrhoids, which typically present bleeding as bright red blood.
What should I do if rectal cancer causes jet-like bleeding?
Rectal cancer patients often experience bleeding, which is a common clinical manifestation. When patients exhibit spurting bleeding, we can adopt the following treatment strategies: Firstly, patients should refrain from eating, as food stimulation can exacerbate the bleeding; Secondly, patients should be administered some medications for hemostasis. When the effect of medical hemostasis is insufficient, we can employ interventional methods, or vascular embolization techniques for hemostasis; Thirdly, when the patient's bleeding volume is large, blood transfusions should be given to improve the patient's anemia; If the patient experiences shock due to bleeding, in addition to blood transfusion treatment, it is also necessary to provide fluid supplementation to ensure the overall volume status of the patient; Fifthly, when the effect of medical hemostasis is poor, surgical intervention is required to carry out hemostasis.
Can rectal cancer be treated?
For rectal cancer, the answer is definitely yes, there are treatments available. If the diagnosis is clear and some treatment measures are reached, it should be personalized because the treatment for rectal cancer includes surgical operations or further anti-tumor treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and even molecular immunotargeted therapy. There are definitely ways to deal with it. Generally, based on the examination of the patient, if there is an opportunity for surgery, surgical removal is the first choice. However, if there is a situation of combined metastasis and the patient presents with symptoms of obstruction, surgery is also needed to resolve the obstruction symptoms. After that, when the patient has recovered, further anti-tumor measures can be taken.
What should rectal cancer patients pay attention to after surgery?
Patients with rectal cancer should maintain a positive and optimistic attitude after surgery, face reality, and build confidence in overcoming cancer. In terms of diet, they should diversify their food intake, including consuming more milk, eggs, lean meat, fresh vegetables, and fruits. They should avoid eating Sichuan pepper, chili peppers, alcohol, and similar foods. Patients should reorganize their lives to ensure regularity, cultivate their interests and hobbies, and engage in appropriate physical exercise.
Hemorrhoids bleeding and rectal cancer differences
The difference between hemorrhoids bleeding and colorectal cancer, first of all, hemorrhoid bleeding is often bright red, and generally is not mixed with stool, such as blood on paper, blood droplets, and in severe cases, gushing bleeding which may cause symptoms of anemia, and it is not significantly related to stool, meaning it is not very mixed. However, sometimes, bleeding caused by irritating hemorrhoids during defecation might be slightly mixed, but generally, it is not. As for colorectal cancer, if bleeding occurs, it is often in the later stages and the blood is usually dark red or purple-red, generally not in large amounts, and it is often mixed with stool. You might also see mucus and pus. Therefore, if there is bleeding, we recommend promptly undergoing a colonoscopy to avoid missing a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
How to differentiate rectal cancer from hemorrhoids?
In clinical practice, rectal cancer can be differentiated from hemorrhoids in the following three aspects: First, the impact on the body is different between the two conditions. Rectal cancer has a significant impact on the body, with patients often experiencing symptoms such as general fatigue, fever, and weight loss. Hemorrhoids, on the other hand, have a minor impact on the body, with patients primarily experiencing local symptoms and rarely showing systemic symptoms. Second, there is a significant difference in the treatment methods. Treatment for rectal cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In contrast, treatment for hemorrhoids mainly involves local medication, and severe cases may consider local surgical treatment. Thirdly, the prognosis of the two conditions is very different. Patients with advanced rectal cancer have a poorer prognosis, and many have a short survival time. Hemorrhoids, however, do not affect the life span of the body.
Does frequent constipation easily lead to rectal cancer?
Constipation and colorectal cancer are two different diseases, but they are related. Frequent constipation can increase the risk of colorectal cancer because long-term constipation can lead to restricted toxin elimination from the body. Some of the foods we eat daily, including proteins, fats, and sugars, decompose in the intestine into substances like ammonia, benzene, and phenol, which have carcinogenic effects. Therefore, people who are frequently constipated may face an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Thus, to address frequent constipation, it is important to solve constipation issues. One's diet should be light, incorporating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, and exercising more, to resolve the issues of constipation.