Is anal prolapse rectal cancer?

Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
Updated on May 05, 2025
00:00
00:00

Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of rectal cancer may experience varying degrees of anal heaviness and bloating. However, the presence of localized anal bloating and heaviness alone, without further examination, is not sufficient to diagnose rectal cancer. Sometimes, large hemorrhoids or excessive relaxation of the rectal mucosa compressing the anal opening can also result in localized anal bloating and heaviness. Additionally, certain anal or rectal inflammations can stimulate the intestinal mucosa and cause feelings of bloating and heaviness. Therefore, when these symptoms appear, further examinations such as an anoscopy or a colonoscopy are needed to clarify the cause of the symptoms, which will then allow for the selection of appropriate treatment methods. The presence of anal heaviness does not definitively indicate rectal cancer.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
31sec home-news-image

Can you eat edamame after rectal cancer surgery?

Patients with rectal cancer can eat edamame after surgery. However, they should pay attention to the following dietary advice post-surgery: First, eat less or avoid animal fats, which means limiting the intake of saturated fatty acids. Second, even the consumption of vegetable oils should be limited. Third, do not eat fried foods. Fourth, during cooking, oils should not be overheated. Fifth, eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
50sec home-news-image

Is anal pain and rectal bleeding indicative of rectal cancer?

Pain in the anal area, accompanied by blood in the stool, does not necessarily indicate rectal cancer. There are many causes of pain and bloody stools, which require identification and diagnosis through the color of the bloody stools, digital rectal examination, and colonoscopy. Common causes of bright red bloody stools or pain are mainly due to hemorrhoids and anal fissures. During the onset of rectal cancer, early stages generally do not involve pain in the anal area. It is mainly characterized by changes in bowel habits, or dark red blood in the stool in the middle to late stages. The tumor may grow larger, causing difficulty in defecation, and may even induce systemic symptoms such as weight loss, anemia, and intestinal obstruction.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
30sec home-news-image

Is rectal cancer hereditary?

This answer is also possible, as one of the causes of any cancer includes the possibility of genetics. However, this possibility is generally small and not everyone is likely to have it. It also depends on the incidence of disease within the entire family. If one is in a high-risk category due to certain genetic factors, then it is crucial to have regular and thorough follow-up checks. Some people might even try treatments specifically targeting genetically inherited colorectal cancer.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
1min 10sec home-news-image

How to detect colorectal cancer early

In clinical practice, to detect colorectal cancer early, screening should be prioritized for individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer. This generally involves tests for tumor markers and colonoscopy examinations. The tumor markers include carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 724, carbohydrate antigen 199, and carbohydrate antigen 125, among others. Colonoscopy examinations should be conducted annually. Furthermore, for individuals with colorectal polyps, yearly colonoscopy is especially recommended to detect early stages of colon cancer. Similarly, for individuals suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon and rectum such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, colonoscopy examinations should also be performed to facilitate early detection of colorectal cancer.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
1min 11sec home-news-image

Stage II colorectal cancer

Rectal cancer staging is based on the TNM system. "T" refers to the primary tumor, "N" indicates whether there are lymph node metastases, and "M" indicates the presence of distant metastases. Staging is determined according to these factors. Stage II generally refers to patients with T3, N0, M0, or T4, N0, M0. What does this mean? T3 indicates that the tumor has penetrated the base layer reaching the subserosal layer, or has invaded the tissues adjacent to parts of the colon or rectum that are not covered by peritoneum, which is described as T3. T4 means that the tumor has invaded through the entire bowel wall, perforated the visceral peritoneum, and involved other organs or structures, which is called T4. N0, M0 means there are no lymph node metastases and no distant metastases, such as to the liver or lungs. Such patients are clinically staged as stage II rectal cancer.