Colorectal cancer, commonly known as colorectal cancer, is now the fourth leading cause of death worldwide.
According to statistics from the National Cancer Center, there were 517,100 new cases of colon cancer in mainland China. Colorectal cancer has jumped to the second place in the incidence of malignant tumors in men, and the fourth place in women, and the mortality rate remains high.
Why are there more and more colorectal cancer patients?What physical changes need to be vigilant in the early stage?How to prevent them in daily life?National Cancer Prevention and Treatment Publicity Week——Comprehensive measures, scientific cancer prevention, let us understand colorectal cancer together.
Understanding colorectal cancer
Colon: between the cecum and rectum, it is distributed in the abdominal cavity of the human body in the shape of a "gate", and is divided into ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and sigmoid colon according to its location and shape.
Rect: Mainly located in the pelvis, connected to the sigmoid colon above, the anal canal and anus below, and surrounded by internal and external sphincters around the rectum. The internal anal sphincter can assist in bowel movements when contracted. The external anal sphincter is a skeletal muscle that can sphincter the anus at will.
Source: Baotu.com
Colorectal cancer refers to the primary malignant tumor of the epithelial origin of the large intestine, in mainland China, rectal cancer is the most common, followed by colon (sigmoid colon, cecum, ascending colon, descending colon and transverse colon) cancer, which is a common gastrointestinal malignant tumor in mainland China.
Colorectal cancer patients have no obvious symptoms in the early stage, and it is difficult to detect without active colonoscopy. However, to a greater or lesser extent, there will be some abnormal manifestations in the intestines of the body, and once the following symptoms appear, they should be taken seriously.
When the following 6 symptoms appear, you should be alert to colorectal cancer
(1) Blood in the stool
Blood in the stool is the earliest and most common manifestation of colorectal cancer, mainly because the stool is easily caused by rubbing against the tumor. Patients with mild symptoms may have only occasional small bleeding, and patients with more severe symptoms may present with bloody mucus, pus-blooded mucus, or fresh bloody stools.
(2) Change in bowel habits
If there is a sudden change in bowel habits, such as an increase in the frequency of bowel movements, incomplete bowel movements, irregular stools, or sticky stools, it is likely to be an early manifestation of colorectal cancer.
(3) Anemia
Anemia is one of the early symptoms of colorectal cancer, and patients may experience pale lips, nail beds, palpebral conjunctiva, dizziness, and weakness as the cancer site bleeds.
(4) Weight loss
Tumor invasion will cause poor appetite and loss of appetite, especially in middle-aged and elderly people, if there is a sudden unexplained loss of appetite, fatigue, and emaciation, they should seek medical attention in time for further examination.
(5) Abdominal pain and bloating
In the early stage of colorectal cancer, patients often experience abdominal discomfort, such as abdominal pain or a feeling of falling. After defecation and gas, there will be mild relief, and some patients can also feel a lump in the abdomen, which is mostly seen on the right side, and is of different sizes, relatively hard, and tender.
(6) Diarrhea alternates with constipation
Patients with colorectal cancer may have diarrhea, and diarrhea alternates with constipation. Constipation occurs mainly due to the tumor becoming larger, compressing or exacerbating the intestinal blockage.
People at high risk of colorectal cancer are advised to be screened regularly
The key population for colorectal cancer screening is the age group of 40~74 years old. Colorectal cancer screening methods mainly include colonoscopy, high-risk factor assessment, fecal occult blood, digital rectal examination, and fecal genetic screening.
Those who are 40~74 years old and meet any of the following or more are at high risk of colorectal cancer:
(1) First-degree relatives with a history of colorectal cancer;
(2) I have a history of cancer (any history of malignancy);
(3) I have a history of intestinal polyps;
(4) Those who have two or more of the following at the same time: (1) chronic constipation (constipation for more than 2 months per year in the past 2 years;(2) chronic diarrhea (diarrhea that has lasted for more than 3 months in the past 2 years, and the duration of each episode is more than 1 week) ;(3) mucus and bloody stools, (4) history of adverse life events (occurred within the past 20 years and caused significant mental trauma or distress to the subject after the event), ;(5) history of chronic appendicitis or appendectomy, (6) history of chronic biliary tract disease or gallbladder removal.
The "Expert Consensus on Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in China (2023)" recommends that people over 40 years old should have a high-quality colonoscopy every 5~10 years. People who do not want to undergo colonoscopy or are not in a position to undergo colonoscopy should undergo a questionnaire risk assessment and fecal occult blood test (FIT, immunochemical method) for initial screening. If the initial screening is positive (high-risk or FIT positive), colonoscopy or further stool genetic testing is recommended. In addition, the efficacy of early intervention for colorectal cancer is very impressive, and the cure rate of early colorectal cancer is as high as 90% after reasonable treatment.
To prevent colorectal cancer, do 5 things in your life
The prevention of colorectal cancer, in addition to uncontrollable factors such as genetics and inflammatory bowel disease, is more closely related to unhealthy lifestyles, and cultivating healthy lifestyle habits can lay a good foundation for the prevention of colorectal cancer.
(1) Healthy eating habits
Reduce the intake of fatty foods (including animal and vegetable oils), eat more high-fibre diets and vegetarian diets, and reduce the intake of red meat (pork, beef, lamb, etc.) and preserved products.
(2) Healthy lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, avoiding sedentary periods, and getting regular physical activity can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
(3) Reduce exposure to environmental carcinogenic factors
Avoid carcinogenic factors such as chemical, physical, biological, etc.
(4) Quit smoking and limit alcohol
Avoid long-term toxicity and inflammatory irritation of tobacco to the digestive system. Avoid alcohol abuse.
(5) Maintain a healthy and optimistic attitude and a good social and mental state
Resources:
[1] ZHENG R, ZHANG S, ZENG H, et al. Cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2016 [J]. Journal of the National Cancer Center, 2022, 2(1): 1-9.
[2] Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment Group, Oncology Branch, Chinese Medical Association. Expert Consensus on Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in China (2023 Edition). Chinese Medical Journal,2023,103(48):3896-3908. DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn112137-20230804-00164
[3] Cai Sanjun, Xu Ye, Cai Guoxiang et al.Recommendations for screening and prevention of common malignant tumors in residents (2021 edition)[J].Tumor,2021,41(04):296-308.