How does bowel cancer manifest itself? It only seems that the disease shows itself only in the later stages. In fact, this is far from being the case. Naturally, the sooner the disease is detected, the more likely it is to be cured. Read our article and don't get sick.
What is this?
Before looking for information about how bowel cancer manifests itself, let's figure out what kind of disease it is.
Intestinal cancer is a malignant change in the epithelium that affects any part of the intestine.
The disease is most common in people over forty-five years old, and it is inherent in both women and men. Not happy that every decade the number of cases grows by 10%.
Intestinal cancer is distinguished by its histological structure, scientists have long noted that in 96% it develops from the mucous membrane, or rather its glandular cells.
Before talking about how cancer manifestsintestines, consider the types of tumors.
- Colon cancer. Most tumors are located in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Scientists have found that meat-eaters are more susceptible to this type of disease than those who prefer only vegetables.
- Cancer of the small intestine. This type of pathology is not so common. Usually it is no more than 1.5% of all cases of oncology. Older people suffer from cancer most of all, and there are much more sick men than women. Most often, the tumor is in the duodenum, much less often in the ileum or jejunum.
It takes about ten years for a polyp to develop into cancer in the same colon. While the tumor grows, minor symptoms appear that most people do not pay attention to, but in vain.
Why does it occur
How bowel cancer manifests itself, we will tell later, but let's talk about the causes of its occurrence right now. There are several reasons that provoke intestinal cancer:
- Old age. According to statistics, people over the age of fifty are susceptible to such diseases.
- Intestinal diseases. At risk are people who have inflammatory pathologies in the intestines.
- Heredity. If one of the relatives has a history of intestinal ailments, then this person is at risk of getting a tumor.
- Unhe althy lifestyle. Doctors have long been saying that you can not drink a lot, smoke and eat junk food. And this is not tediousness, but concern for the he alth of citizens, because it is the wrong eating behavior andbad habits provoke the development of cancer.
Among men, bowel cancer is in second place, but among women it is in third place. It is important to understand that with age, the risk of getting cancer only increases, so you need to take preventive measures in advance. By the way, in medical terminology, the concept of colorectal cancer, which is bowel cancer, is common.
Primary signs
Signs of colon cancer in women and men are equally indistinguishable from ordinary indigestion. The fact is that at first cancer cells begin to grow and form, which eventually cause the appearance of a malignant tumor. The problem is that at an early stage, the symptoms of the disease are almost invisible, they are mistaken for a digestive problem or simple indigestion.
We can advise you to take care of yourself, then the signs of colon cancer in women and men will not come as a surprise. So, pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, which is not associated with eating.
- Aversion to greasy fried food has appeared.
- Loss of appetite, rapid weight loss.
- Signs of dyspepsia.
- Signs of anemia.
- Diarrhea followed by prolonged constipation.
- Blood in feces.
Development stages
No matter what you find yourself, what are the symptoms and signs of small intestine cancer. Diagnosis reveals the stages of development of the disease more accurately. There are only five of them, and we will talk about eachin detail. It is important to understand that before the second stage, the primary signs are either not observed at all, or they are very mild. Some people have no symptoms until the third stage. As a rule, people seek help in the third or fourth stage, when already noticeable pain appears.
So, let's look at how the different stages of the disease go:
- Zero stage. At this time, atypical cells begin to accumulate, which begin to divide rapidly. They can turn into cancer cells at any time. While the pathological process is limited within the mucous membranes.
- The first stage. The cancerous tumor begins to grow rapidly, but does not yet extend beyond the intestinal wall. Metastases are also not yet formed. Symptoms are disorders of the digestive tract, but the person does not pay attention to it. If a colonoscopy is done in time, then neoplasia will already be detected.
- The second stage is characterized by the growth of the tumor, which begins to penetrate the walls of the intestine. The tumor is already two to five centimeters.
- Third stage. This is where the disease can be detected not only with the help of diagnostics: the signs and symptoms of small intestine cancer also appear quite clearly. A person can already understand for himself that there is some kind of disorder with the body, and the study will confirm this. At this stage, cancer cells have increased activity. The tumor not only penetrates the intestinal wall, but also rapidly increases in size. Cancer cells begin to penetrate the lymph nodes. Damage to neighboring tissues and organs is observed, inthey already have pinpoint lesions.
- The fourth stage. The tumor has already reached its maximum size and has metastasized to those organs that are located farthest away. The body is affected by toxins that are formed due to the waste products of cancer. As a result, the work of all organs and systems is disrupted.
- The fifth stage. It is considered the last one, on which it is no longer possible to help the patient. The tumor is not only huge, but also metastasized everywhere, which means it has become inoperable.
How long a person will live depends on how large the formation is in the body, and what is its ability to localize. Cancer cells that have spread only over the surface layer of the epithelium leave 85% of patients with a chance to survive. If the muscle layer is also affected, then the survival rate drops sharply to 67%.
Types of education
We have analyzed the first signs of bowel cancer. According to reviews, this is how it actually happens. Let's look at the types of bowel cancer.
Doctors highlight:
- Colloid cancer.
- Adenocarcinoma.
- Crico-cell.
- Unidentified.
- Squamous.
In most cases, patients are diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. This is the name of glandular cancer, which begins from the epithelium of the intestinal mucosa. These tumors can be low-differentiated, high- and medium-differentiated. The prognosis for the patient largely depends on the determination of the degree. Ring cell cancer affects even young peoplepeople, but squamous cell usually occurs in the rectum.
Manifestation in adults
You should not believe the information on the Internet, if only because it is not a runny nose and it is necessary to treat such a serious illness in the hospital, and not apply plantain. We have already said that cancer appears only in the later stages. The patient does not notice the signs of the disease, and therefore pays attention to them too late. We have listed the risk groups above, and if you belong to at least one, we recommend that you listen to yourself even more carefully.
In adults, the oncological process proceeds as follows:
- With stenotic oncology, the patient suffers from constipation and frequent colic. This is due to the fact that the lumen narrows, hence the pain. The first stage is characterized by constant swelling and flatulence, which disappears after the patient goes to the toilet. This is an important symptom of bowel cancer. Reviews of doctors are proof of this. Aesculapius confirm that due to self-care, a serious illness can be prevented. Flatulence and bloating should not be ignored.
- Intestinal cancer of the enterocolitis type can be detected in time if you pay attention to the constantly changing stool - from diarrhea to constipation.
- With dyspeptic cancer, a person has constant belching, bitterness in the mouth or heartburn.
- Pseudo-inflammatory cancer is characterized by vomiting, nausea, fever, chills and severe pain.
- Cystitis cancer is manifested by painful urination with blood impurities.
It's not uncommon for people to complain about feeling full even after going to the bathroom. Some begin to lose weight dramatically, although neither the diet nor the regimen has changed. If there is blood in the stool, then this is a clear signal that something is not right with the body.
Don't be fooled by drowsiness, general weakness, the fact that you get tired quickly. It is better to be examined immediately than to treat a serious illness later.
The first signs of colon and rectal cancer, as we have already said, are not particularly pronounced, but then the symptoms appear depending on the location of the tumor and the stage of its development. For example, if the tumor is in the right side, then patients note:
- Presence of blood in feces.
- Diarrhea.
- Anemia.
- Pain in the abdomen.
When the tumor is located in the left section, the first signs of colon and rectal cancer appear:
- Persistent constipation, difficulty defecation, blood in stools.
- Alternating constipation and loose stools. So, it happens because the lumen of the colon relaxes and narrows.
- It is difficult for a person to go to the toilet, feces come out with blood and mucus, while the patient complains of pain.
But that's not all. Signs of small bowel cancer include intermittent pain in the abdomen that gives off a coppery taste in the mouth. This type of cancer is characterized by nausea and vomiting, anemia, loss of liver dysfunction and sudden weight loss.
The defeat of the sigmoid colon is accompanied by various impurities instool (mucus, pus, blood), intoxication of the body, false urge to empty, flatulence, severe pain while going to the toilet.
Other symptoms
We have already found out that the early signs of bowel cancer in men and women do not differ from each other. But still there are symptoms in the later stages, which differ by gender. So, in men, the prostate is primarily affected, but in women, the vagina. The rectal space and anal canal are no less susceptible to damage. In this case, the patient begins to complain of severe pain in the sacrum, anus, and lower back. Men still complain of painful urination.
If all these symptoms are due to cancer, then a favorable outcome remains in doubt. In women, formations of this kind can occur after thirty-five years, and if you have time to identify it in the primary stage, then metastases to the uterus will not go.
Patients first experience general weakness, the usual signs of dyspepsia, and only then symptoms of the tumor appear. The initial diagnosis of signs and symptoms of bowel cancer occurs through a questionnaire. The doctor determines if the patient has the following:
- Pain when trying to empty the intestines, which are constantly repeated.
- Blood in feces.
- Failure of the menstrual cycle.
- Impaired urination.
- Bleeding in the daily rate of urine.
- Lack of appetite and dramatic weight loss.
- Disgustto fatty and fried foods.
If the disease is already at an advanced stage, then it manifests itself:
- Dry and pale skin.
- Fatigue and weakness.
- Headaches and frequent dizziness.
- Exhaustion and unmotivated weight loss.
- The defeat of other organs and systems.
- Anemia and low protein in the body.
Metastases
Typically, metastases from a tumor first penetrate the liver. They also often penetrate the lymph nodes of the retroperitoneal space, directly the peritoneum, abdominal organs, lungs, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries. The pelvic organs, pancreas and bladder suffer no less.
There are unfavorable factors that allow you to predict not the best outcome.
- If the tumor grows into the fat layer.
- Cancer cells are poorly differentiated.
- The large intestine has holes.
- Metastases penetrate the veins and neighboring organs and thus close the lumen.
- Cancerous-embryonic antigen even before surgery has a high concentration in plasma. This suggests that the risk of recurrence is very high, no matter what stage of the disease.
Patients with signs of stomach and intestinal cancer are divided into two groups:
- With multiple metastases.
- With single metastases.
Diagnosis
What are the signs of colon and rectal cancerindicate that you need to see a doctor? Any! After all, our people are very suggestible, and therefore you can only trust the results of the survey. So, at the first malaise, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will listen to all the complaints that the patient has, find out if there are people in the family history who were sick or those who died from this type of cancer. Doctors are very attentive to those people who already have problems with the intestines, such as polyps or inflammatory processes.
The next step is to examine your body by a doctor, sometimes it is enough to palpate the area and the tumor will be felt through the abdominal wall. Always at the first examination, the doctor conducts a digital examination of the rectum.
The first stages of the disease indicate that not everything is normal, mild discomfort in the abdomen. If changes were found in the blood tests, and the patient is over fifty years old, then the doctor most likely assumes oncology.
What does a blood test say
What are the first signs of bowel cancer that can be seen with a blood test? What will help to predict and detect the disease in the early stages? If the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin decreases, then this already says a lot. Leukocytes, as a rule, on the contrary, increase, and the ESR becomes quite high. In the analysis, you can also see increased blood clotting and tumor markers.
How the diagnosis is confirmed
The first signs of colon cancer may not indicate the disease. The doctor will confirm the diagnosis only ifthe following studies will be positive:
- Irrigoscopy. This is called an x-ray of the intestine. An x-ray is taken after a radiopaque substance is injected through an enema. For these purposes, a barium suspension is used.
- Sigmoidoscopy. The site is examined, which is located at a depth of thirty centimeters from the anus. For this, the doctor uses a special device, thanks to which the walls of the intestine are visible.
- Colonoscopy. The examination is carried out at a distance of one hundred centimeters from the anus through a probe.
- Stool test for occult blood, which is carried out in a laboratory.
- MRI and CT to determine the location of the tumor and the absence or presence of metastases.
Treatment
Let's say again that when self-diagnosing, you should not listen to reviews. The first signs of bowel cancer can be different in different patients, and therefore should not be taken as a diagnosis. People on the Internet often share their opinions, but this does not mean that they have a medical education, and therefore cannot be trusted. Do not search on the Internet how colon cancer manifests itself, its symptoms, but go straight to the doctor.
Now there are several methods of treating the disease: radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy. It is important to understand that cancer is not a runny nose and cannot be cured quickly. Tune in in advance for a long process and approach the treatment as seriously as possible. According to statistics, the operation helps best of all, because during itthe tissue around the affected area and the tumor itself are removed.
If the disease is diagnosed on time, then the operation is performed using a sigmoidoscope. It is inserted into the rectum through the anus. When the disease is detected at the last stage, then extensive surgical intervention is indispensable. Sometimes you even have to remove part of the intestine in order to save the patient's life.
What else is included in the treatment? Depending on how the cancer of the small intestine or large intestine manifests itself, the following methods are used:
- Radiotherapy. The tumor is exposed to X-rays, because it destroys malignant cells and stops their growth.
- Chemotherapy. Cytostatic drugs are introduced into the body, which have a detrimental effect on the tumor itself. The problem is that the drugs also kill he althy cells, which is why the method has so many "side effects" from hair loss to constant vomiting and nausea.
- Radiotherapy. This method is considered preparatory before surgery. She is also prescribed after the operation.
Chemotherapy is used systemically: after and before surgery. Sometimes drugs are injected into the blood vessels that feed the metastases. As a rule, 5-fluororucil is used for chemotherapy, but this does not mean that this is the only drug. In practice, you can often find the use of oxaliplatin, capecitabine, irinotecan. In order to enhance the effects of chemistry, immunocorrectors are also used. The latter include stimulants of cellular andhumoral immunity and interferonogens.
Rough forecast
We have already looked at how bowel cancer symptoms manifest. Now let's move on to life expectancy. We all know that oncology is not only a serious, but also a fatal disease, and therefore patients are often interested in how much they have left. So, we can say that life expectancy depends on the stage at which the disease was detected.
If the disease is detected at the initial stage, then approximately 90% of all cases survive, while the data are taken over a five-year period after treatment. When metastases have already appeared, the rate is greatly reduced. Only 50% of all cases remain alive.
The worst prognosis is usually given if the disease is too advanced or the rectum is very affected, especially the distal part.
So, above, we found out how bowel cancer manifests itself in the early stages. Let's move on to how many patients survive. The initial stage is practically not diagnosed, but if you still manage to see the disease, then the forecasts are very encouraging. Up to 95% of patients survive if the surgery is successful.
As for the second stage, when the symptoms are already more noticeable and the neoplasm begins to spread to neighboring organs, in this case about 75% of patients survive. It turns out that those people who have undergone the operation well are cured, and radiation therapy has given the desired results.
The third stage is characterized by large formations and penetration intoThe lymph nodes. Survival rates are declining, and half of those who become ill manage to get rid of the disease.
But at the fourth stage, unfortunately, there is practically no chance. Malignant formation penetrates into organs located nearby, extensive metastases are formed. With all these indicators, only 4% can survive.
Prevention
How does bowel cancer manifest itself? We have already considered the first signs of a complex disease, let's move on to preventive measures. Thus, we will consider options that will help not to get sick, even though oncological diseases occur suddenly and insidiously. First of all, prevention should be de alt with by those people who have a relative with bowel diseases or a history of cancer. It is also worth worrying for people who suffer from diseases that can turn into cancer and for those who are already over forty years old.
What are some general recommendations?
- Increase physical activity levels.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- Add fiber-rich foods to your diet.
We all think that these recommendations are of no use and doctors repeat them out of harm, but in fact it is not. All this is done for your own benefit, and not to your detriment. Go through a medical examination every year, and then the risks of getting sick will noticeably decrease.
See your doctor if you already have these or other symptoms.
Conclusion
Do not neglect the advice of doctors and hope for a chance. It is important to monitor your he alth from youth, then there will be chances to live a long and happy life. Unfortunately, young people do not want to go to doctors and think about the future, but in vain. It is now that you are he althy and nothing bothers you, but soon there will be children, and the age will increase, so it is better to pay attention now.
Someone says that modern ecology is much worse than bad habits, and he is partly right. But, on the other hand, you can change your place of residence and not poison yourself, but what you inhale and pour in will remain with you. Consider whether a cigarette is worth the pain of chemotherapy or multiple surgeries. I bet you don't.
It is more effective not to smoke or not to drink once again than to die very early. Oncological diseases are distinguished by the fact that they overtake suddenly, when you do not expect at all. Even worse is that there are practically no initial signs of the disease. Only a person with good intuition can understand that something is wrong. As they say, it is better to overdo it than to miss the development of a serious illness.
If you are not sure that you have been given the correct diagnosis, then do not give up, but go to another specialist. Go around several doctors, and then it will become clear by most verdicts who is right. Even if you heard a terrible diagnosis, then do not despair. Many cases are known when people were cured in the last stages thanks to faith and hope. Depression and apathy will only aggravate the condition. Feel the taste for life, do what you love, take time for loved ones. When, if not now? Will there be no more time?Do not postpone love and affection for family members, speak words of love, show how you need them, and life will be filled with meaning. You will understand that there is no point in dying, and the disease will begin to go away. Stay he althy.
