Caecal cancer is an oncological disease that occurs in 11% of people. Tumors of a benign nature often appear in this part of the intestine, and sometimes they turn into malignant ones.
Reasons
Currently, doctors have not yet fully understood colorectal cancer, so only approximate causes are known.
These include:
- Neoplasms of a benign and malignant nature.
- Diseases of the digestive system (polyps, ulcerative colitis and others).
- A diet high in animal fats and refined carbohydrates.
- Inactivity.
- Heredity.
- Age over 48.
- Smoking tobacco products.
- Presence of type 16 papillomas.
- Frequent drinking.
- Permanent emotional overstrain.
- Long-term drug use.
- Work in production using harmful elements.
- Metabolic processes that occur in the body in the presence of excess weight and diabetes.
An unbalanced diet that does not containa sufficient amount of vegetables and cereals, greatly overloads the digestive tract. If the human body does not receive the required amount of fiber, then the fermentation process begins. Because of this, the process of producing carcinogenic elements that cause great harm to he alth is launched.
Bad habits disrupt normal blood circulation and disrupt the vascular system.
Sedentary lifestyle leads to stagnation and constant accumulation of feces. This disrupts the bowel and reduces the absorption of beneficial elements by the intestinal walls.
The hereditary factor increases the risk of developing the disease by about 34%.
Symptoms
Signs of colorectal cancer:
- Blood and mucus in feces.
- Discomfort and pain in the stomach, which can radiate to the right side.
- Permanent weakness.
- Fatigue.
- Decreased appetite.
- Stagnation of feces.
- The smell of feces becomes strong and unpleasant.
- Going to the toilet breaks.
- The occurrence of bleeding.
- Strong weight loss.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Nausea.
- Bloating.
- Pain in the lower abdomen.
The disease of cancer of the caecum, the symptoms of which are described above, is hard to miss. If even one symptom appears, you should consult a doctor.
You can see the caecum in the photo.
Stagesdisease
Doctors distinguish 5 stages of colorectal cancer.
Zero stage. The tumor is small. Only the upper layers of the walls of the large intestine are affected. No lymph nodes affected, no metastases
The first stage. The tumor has penetrated the second and third layers of the walls of the large intestine. Lymph nodes are not affected, distant metastases are not diagnosed
Second stage. Tumor formation completely damages the wall of the large intestine and penetrates to the other side. The lymph nodes are not affected, there are no metastases
Third stage. Malignant formation damages nearby organs and tissues. Lymph node damage is recorded, but metastases are not detected
Cancer of the caecum stage 4. Tissues and organs are affected by the formation. Lymph nodes are damaged, metastases are present
Disease classification
Histological classification divides caecal cancer into the following types:
- Adenocarcinomas.
- Cricoid.
- Undifferentiated.
- Not classified.
- Squamous.
- Squamous-glandular.
An oncologist treats cancer of the cecum.
Diagnosis of disease
Doctors detect cancer of the caecum in many ways.
First of all, they produce palpation, auscultation and percussion. These methods allow you to determine the location of the tumor, its condition, the presence of fluid in the cavity (abdominal) andthe presence of noises that appear with obstructed patency of the intestinal tract.
Secondly, sigmoidoscopy, irrigoscopy and colonoscopy are used. So, doctors conduct a visual examination, specify the size of the neoplasm and its location.
In the third place, ultrasound and CT are prescribed. They allow you to assess the spread of the tumor.
Only after all the procedures, doctors will be able to see a complete picture of the disease. Based on the results, they will make an accurate diagnosis.
Cure disease
After the doctors confirm the diagnosis of cancer of the caecum, treatment begins immediately.
There are three main methods of therapy.
- Operational method (surgical). It is the main type of treatment that is used at any stage of the disease. During the operation, a malignant type formation is removed with an anastomosis. The extent of the surgical method depends on how the disease has spread.
- Radiation therapy method. It is used before surgery to shrink tumor tissue. It also helps prevent recurrence after surgery. This method has side effects, they occur in the form of thinning of the stool, nausea, vomiting, and the appearance of blood and mucus in the feces.
- Chemotherapy method. This method is used as monotherapy, as well as in combination with the use of several agents. These include drugs: Fluorouracil and calcium folinate or Fluorouracil and"Mitomycin".
Sometimes doctors do a bypass. It is used when there is no possibility to remove the tumor in the area of unaffected tissues. Anastomosis is used mainly in the last stages of the disease. The volume of surgical intervention increases when the formation of a malignant form extends to nearby tissues and organs. It is also used for lesions of the lymph nodes.
Forecast
If the treatment was carried out at the zero stage and was successful, then the survival rate predicted by doctors is 95%. Due to mild symptoms, the disease is not immediately diagnosed.
When treatment is carried out at the first stage, the prognosis is 91%. This is due to the fact that cancer cells affect the second and third layers of the intestine.
If the treatment was carried out at the second stage, then the survival rate varies from 70 to 82%. It depends on how deep the tumor has grown into neighboring tissues.
Treatment at the third stage guarantees the survival of the patient only in 42-63%. These indicators depend on how badly the organs near the tumor are damaged and whether the lymph nodes are affected.
Therapy at the last (fourth) stage guarantees survival only in 6-10% for 6-7 years after therapy.
The figures provided are based on research.
Prevention
In order to prevent illness, you need to follow a few simplerules:
- Avoid stressful situations.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Move and exercise more.
- Keep your he alth.
If you have a hereditary factor, then regularly visit a doctor and take tests. So, with the appearance of a disease such as cancer of the caecum, stages one or zero give a significant chance for a full-fledged future life, subject to timely treatment.
If you find yourself with signs of cancer of the caecum, then immediately consult a doctor. So, once the diagnosis is confirmed, you can start treatment and have a better chance of recovery.
