In the modern world, there is a disease that is not so easy to defeat, especially if it is not found at the initial stage - it is cancer. He is treated in many ways, one of which is surgery. And now, when it seems that the disease is gone, and everything is behind, it suddenly returns. Why cancer recurrence after surgery occurs, what are the symptoms and how to prevent the return of the disease, we will talk further.
What is cancer relapse?
Oncology relapse is the return of a malignant disease after a period of remission.
It is customary to distinguish between relapse of the entire cancer and tumor.
The cause of a relapse of the neoplasm may be the activation of cancer cells that remained after treatment and surgery and remained inactive for some time. This can be a fairly long period of time.
It is believed that the disease again made itself felt if metastases appear after a certain period of time after the tumor has been removed. They can be found not only in the tumor zone, but also in tissues, in distant organs, and lymph nodes.
No one can guarantee that relapse will not happen after recovery. But there are factors that can help determine to the doctor the likelihood of a return of the disease and inform the patient about it.
Re-illness factors
We single out several factors on which the occurrence of a repeated malignant process will depend:
- Where is the tumor located? If this is skin cancer in the first stage, then the return of the disease is practically excluded, but a relapse of breast cancer of the internal quadrant or rectal oncology is more likely.
- At what stage is the disease. So, in the early stages of the disease, when malignant cells did not penetrate the tissue barrier and did not spread through the circulatory and lymphatic systems, a complete cure without relapse of the disease is possible.
- What is the histological structure of the neoplasm. Superficial tumors , as a rule, do not form a repeated malignant formation. And infiltrative cancer often has relapses even after surgery.
- What method and extent of treatment were used. The most effective is considered a combined method of therapy. It gives a higher percentage of cure.
- What is the age of the patient. It is known that cancer recurrence at a young age is a very rare phenomenon, which cannot be said about people of an older age category. It is also known that a secondary cancerous tumor grows very quickly and aggressively.
Causes of cancer recurrence after surgery
One of the methods of treating cancer is the surgical removal of a malignant tumor. However, even after such an intervention and a course of chemotherapy, a relapse of the pathology is possible. The reasons for the return of the disease can be called the following:
- One of the reasons is not completely removed cancer cells during surgery. This is possible due to the fact that they began to form not in one but in several places of the affected organ.
- Inferior treatment or the use of ineffective methods.
- Heavy physical exertion.
- Injuries to the operated part of the body.
- Drug use, smoking and addiction to hard liquors.
- Chronic pathology.
- Infectious diseases.
- Failures in the endocrine system.
Relapse at the initial stage is almost asymptomatic, but one of the manifestations is the determination at the site of surgical intervention of nodular formations of pathological tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations, as the symptoms at an early stage are minimal.
Relapse Diagnosis
In order to determine how much pathological formations have increased, doctors can prescribe the following tests:
- X-ray examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Lab tests.
- Biopsy of pathological tissues.
Where relapse may occur
Relapse of a malignant neoplasm does not always occur in the place where it was first detected and removed.
Where re-development of a tumor is most often detected:
- Local relapse. Cancer appears in the same tissues or located very close to them. However, the process did not spread to nearby organs and tissues.
- Regional relapse. Malignant cells are found in the lymph nodes and tissues near the site of removal of the cancer.
- Remote relapse. Pathological changes were found in remote areas from the primary primary cancer.
Consider the symptoms of cancer recurrence of certain diseases.
Symptoms of Returning Ovarian Oncology
Even a 100% cure does not guarantee that the disease will not return. If surgery for ovarian cancer is postponed, then there is some chance that a relapse of ovarian cancer may occur.
For timely detection, you should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Malaise and weakness appear more often.
- In the lower abdomen there is a feeling of pain and heaviness.
- Fast fatigue.
- There is a violation of the menstrual cycle.
- There are failures in the work of the pelvic organs.
- Violation of urination and bowel movements.
- Metastatic pleurisy or ascites appears.
Symptoms of Uterine Cancer Relapse
As mentioned earlier, the first symptoms of the return of the disease are so insignificant that you can not even pay attention to it. However, you need to know what the symptoms may be if it is a recurrence of uterine cancer:
- Fatigue, apathy.
- Dizziness.
- Dyspeptic disorders.
- Increase in body temperature to 38 degrees and above.
- Periodic back pain and pelvic pain, worse at night.
- Orchardous or watery discharge.
Common symptoms of re-oncology after surgery
We highlight several common signs that are characteristic of a relapse of cancer:
- Constant feeling of tiredness.
- Headaches, dizziness.
- Digestive system upset.
- Impaired bowel and bladder function.
- Seals or neoplasms in any part of the body.
- Unusual discharge or bleeding.
- Frequent pains.
- Change in the size and nature of moles, birthmarks.
- Persistent cough or hoarseness.
I would like to note once again that most often, relapses of cancer in the initial stages are not very noticeable for patients. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly observe with specialists and take tests for cancer cells.
How to treat a recurring disease after surgery
Currently, medicine is successfully fighting cancer in the early stages, and treating relapse in the initial stages can give a person a better chance of recovery.
Relapse after removal of cancer can be early and late. An early relapse occurs 2-4 months after surgery, and a late relapse occurs after 2-4 years or more.
Scientists have found that after surgery, cancer cells begin to actively progress after 4-6 months, so it is advisable to carry out specific therapy as soon as the primary signs of oncology in the operated organ were discovered.
What is anti-cancer therapy?
- Surgical intervention. Excision of a malignant tumor if tumor cells have not penetrated into other tissues.
- Radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy.
- Treatment with immunotherapy.
- Given the type and stage of cancer, radiofrequency ablation, cryodestruction, or hormone therapy is performed.
As a rule, not one treatment method is used, but several, which gives good results. Chemotherapy is often used along with radiation therapy.
It should be noted that cancer relapses, as a rule, cannot be treated using the same methods and drugs that were used in the treatment of primary education. Malignant cells may have resistance to chemotherapy, so it can no longer be used for relapse.
Radiation therapy is used if the tumor cannot be removed surgically and metastases have already formed. And also this type of treatment is complementary to chemotherapy.
Ways to Prevent Relapse
To prevent a relapse after cancer, you must follow a few recommendations:
- Constantly observed by an oncologist. Undergo a medical examination at least 2 times a year. Conduct laboratory tests, monitor the condition of the lymph nodes, as well as conduct an examination for the presence of seals, neoplasms.
- Adhere to a healthy lifestyle. Do not smoke, do not abuse strong alcohol.
- Observe proper nutrition. The diet should be saturated and balanced.
- Taking vitamins and nutritional supplements is recommended, but only after consulting a doctor.
- Recommended moderate physical activity, sports. The correct alternation of work and rest, an active lifestyle.
As you know, cancer relapses occur in a more aggressive and transient form. To prevent this, it is necessary to adhere to the advice of doctors, lead a healthy lifestyle, and if you still attend the fear of the return of the disease, seek psychological help.