Colon cancer: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Colon cancer: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Colon cancer - malignanta neoplasm developing in a straight line, or in the large intestine. Initially, as a rule, small benign adenomatous polyps are formed, which eventually grow into a malignant tumor. Symptoms of the disease are nonspecific, patients seldom pay attention to them and call for medical help rather late.
Symptoms of rectal cancer
With the formation and growth of malignantneoplasm, the patient experiences general weakness, rapid fatigue. The work of the intestine changes, constipation followed by diarrhea. There is nausea, vomiting, general signs of intoxication. Anemia develops. There is a feeling of defective defecation. Weight slowly begins to decline.
In later stages, acute intestinalobstruction. Many patients only at this stage of rectal cancer turn to a doctor when regional lymph nodes, lungs, liver, bladder, vagina and ureters are affected by metastases.
Diagnosis of rectal cancer
The patient is given a rectal examination,prescribe irrigoscopy, colonoscopy with biopsy, sigmoidoscopy, ultrasonic tomography to determine the degree of metastasis. In the analysis of feces, blood is detected. When examined in the blood, carcinoembryonic antigens are determined.
Rectal Cancer Treatment
Palliative surgery is used in earlystages of the disease. At later stages of rectal cancer, surgical treatment is indicated. To reduce the size of the tumor to the operative, radiation therapy is recommended. After surgical treatment, chemotherapy is used. If the metastases are extensive and the vital organs are affected, the patient is considered inoperable. Survival within five years after radical treatments is 50%. It must be remembered that earlier detection of rectal cancer allows for a full treatment and significantly improve the quality of life of the patient.
