The first symptoms of colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignant disease of the colon characterized by atypical growth of cells that can penetrate and spread to other parts of the body. Colon cancer diagnosis in the early stages reduces mortality from CRC. Screening is recommended after age 50. During a colonoscopy, small polyps are removed. The detection of large polyps or a tumor is an indication for a biopsy, the results of which determine the extent of surgical intervention.
Stages, pathogenesis and symptoms of colorectal cancer
Stages of colon cancer:
- I – the tumor is limited to the intestinal wall;
- II – the tumor grows through the wall of the intestine, there are no metastases in the regional lymph nodes;
- III – the tumor metastasizes to regional lymph nodes;
- IV – distant metastases. Stage 4 colon cancer with metastases is practically incurable. Patients are provided with palliative care to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.
Most oncological diseases of the large intestine are due to age, lifestyle and genetic changes.
CRC risk factors:
- low fiber diet;
- high consumption of fatty food and red meat;
- obesity;
- alcohol consumption;
- smoking;
- low physical activity;
- intestinal disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis);
- genetic factor (familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary colon cancer without polyposis).
The first symptoms of colon cancer: the presence of blood in the stool, a change in the consistency of the stool, weight loss and a constant feeling of fatigue.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer depend on the location of the tumor and the presence of metastases. Classic signs of rectal cancer in men include constipation, change in the shape of stool, and loss of appetite. Nausea/vomiting, rectal bleeding, anemia may occur. The main manifestations of cancer of the cecum in women are pain in the lower abdomen, flatulence, smelly stool.
Colon cancer treatment
Radical tumor resection is recommended for patients with localized colorectal cancer. The scope of the operation depends on vascularization, because lymphatic vessels repeat the course of blood vessels. In many patients, it is possible to create an intestinal anastomosis, but in rectal tumors it may overlap with a non-functional stoma. In some patients with low-lying tumors, the rectal sphincters are removed and a permanent colostomy is formed.Operation for sigmoid colon cancer is more effective when the tumor has grown into the intestinal wall, but has not yet spread to the lymph nodes. During surgery, the doctor removes the tumor and part of the intestine. The type of operation depends on the degree of spread of the process and the location of the tumor. In some cases, a complete resection of the rectum with the imposition of a colostomy is performed.
For the treatment of colon cancer, surgical methods, radiation and chemotherapy or their combination are used. The decision to use chemotherapy for colon cancer depends on the stage of the disease. The prognosis after undergoing chemotherapy for patients with metastases in regional lymph nodes is favorable. Chemotherapy significantly reduces mortality among patients with stage III CRC. Research in this area is aimed at selecting chemotherapeutic regimens and evaluating the effectiveness of therapy in stage II colon cancer.
If necessary, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are also prescribed at later stages of the disease. In some cases, surgical treatment of stage IV cancer is successful - removal of individual metastases and localized areas of the tumor, creation of a palliative bypass or formation of a stoma.
Prognosis for colon cancer
In the world, colorectal cancer is the third most common type of malignant tumors and accounts for about 10% of all cases of oncological pathologies. In developed countries, about a third of patients diagnosed with CRC die from cancer. Survival rates when the pathology is detected at an early stage are approximately five times higher than when the cancer is addressed to the doctors in the late stages.
The prognosis for colorectal cancer is determined by the stage of the disease. Pain and blood in the stool with bowel cancer is a reason to immediately consult a doctor. The only radical method of treating the disease is surgery, although the above-mentioned symptomatic therapy can increase the patient's life expectancy.
Diet for colon cancer
Medicinal nutrition for CRC involves the exclusion from the diet of foods that irritate the gastrointestinal tract (fatty, smoked, pickled). It is better to cook with steam. Food should be mashed or chopped. Do not drink too hot drinks. Products should be rich in nutrients and vitamins.
The diet is fractional. It is desirable to eat food in small portions 6-8 times a day. Colon cancer diet is especially important for patients with a colostomy. The reason is the impossibility of controlling the bowel emptying process. Read more about therapeutic nutrition for intestinal diseases on our website https://dobrobut.com/.
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