Cancer that begins in the rectum is Rectal Cancer. The rectum is the last few inches of the large intestine. It starts on the last segment colon and ends when it reaches the small narrow passage leading to the anus.
Table Of Contents
- What are the causes of Rectal Cancer?
- What are the symptoms of Rectal Cancer?
- How is Rectal Cancer diagnosed?
- How is rectal cancer treated?
- Surgery
What are the causes of Rectal Cancer?
This cancer starts when healthy cells in the rectum develop DNA modifications (mutations). A cell’s DNA carries the commands that inform a cell what to do. However, they continue to mutate and grow uncontrollably, and the healthy cells would die. Accumulation of these cells forms a tumor. They then break away and travel to other parts of the body.
What are the symptoms of Rectal Cancer?
Signs and symptoms of rectal cancers include diarrhea, constipation, greater frequency of bowel movements, blood in stool, narrow stool, a sense that the bowel has not emptied, abdominal pain, unexplained weight reduction or weakness, and fatigue.
How is Rectal Cancer diagnosed?
Most rectal cancers may be observed during a screening test for colorectal cancer, or it can be suspected primarily based on signs and symptoms.
Screening and testing methods include:
Colonoscopy- Colonoscopy uses an extended, flexible tube (colonoscope) connected to a video digital camera and display to view the colon and rectum. If cancers are determined in the rectum, the doctor can also recommend inspecting the colon to look for additional suspicious areas. If found, specialized tools are passed to take tissue samples (biopsies) for evaluation.
Complete blood count and other Blood tests- Blood tests are performed to know the Red Blood Cells and White blood cells to check blood loss or signs of infection. It also helps track whether cancer responds to treatment by a protein (carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA) in blood.
CT scan of the chest – It is to determine if cancer has spread to other organs like the liver and lungs.
MRI of the pelvis- An MRI gives a detailed image of the muscles, organs, and other tissues surrounding a tumor in the rectum. It additionally shows the lymph nodes close to the rectum and different layers of tissue within the rectal wall.
How is rectal cancer treated?
The doctor makes use of information from these tests to assign cancers stage. The ranges of rectal cancer are shown by Roman numerals that vary from 0 to IV. The lowest degree indicates most cancers that are constrained to the liner of the internal rectum. With level IV, the tumor is considered advanced and has spread to different areas of the body.
Rectal cancer treatment includes a combination of therapies. While the workable, surgical operation is used to cut away most cancerous cells. Different remedies, along with Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can be used after surgical treatment to kill any cancer cells that stay and decrease the risk of cancer return.
Surgery
Most often, rectal cancer is treated with surgery to remove cancer cells. The type of operation depends on the location and stage of the tumor. Procedures used to treat rectal cancer include:
- Removing small cancers from the interior of the rectum.
- Removing all or part of the rectum.
- Removing the rectum and anus.
Apart from surgeries, therapies are also part of the treatment
Chemotherapy– In Chemotherapy, drugs are used to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually given after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain for rectal cancer.
Chemotherapy can also be used on the cancer cell that cannot be removed by the surgery and has spread to other body parts.
Radiation therapy- Radiation remedy uses powerful, effective energy resources, such as X-rays and protons to kill cancer cells. It could be used after surgical operation to kill any cancer cells that would remain. Or it may be used before surgery to remove the cancer cells and make it less complicated.
