How does intestinal cancer manifest in the early stages: the very first signs and symptoms

How does intestinal cancer manifest itself? It only seems that the disease only shows itself in the later stages. In fact, this is far from the case. Naturally, the sooner an ailment is discovered, the more likely it is to recover. Read our article and do not get sick.

What it is?

Before looking for information on how bowel cancer appears, let's see what kind of disease it is.

Intestinal cancer is a malignant change in the epithelium that affects any part of the intestine.

The disease most often occurs in people older than forty-five years, and it is inherent in both women and men. Not happy that every decade the number of cases increases by 10%.

Bowel cancer is distinguished by histological structure, scientists have long noted that in 96% it develops from the mucous membrane, or rather, its glandular cells.

Before talking about how bowel cancer manifests itself, consider the types of tumors.

1. Colon cancer Most tumors are located in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Scientists have found that meat-eaters are more prone to this type of disease than those who prefer only vegetables.
2. Small intestine cancer. This type of pathology is not so common. Usually it makes up no more than 1.5% of all cases of oncology. Cancer is most affected by older people, and there are many more sick men than women. Most often, the tumor is located in the duodenum, much less often in the ileum or jejunum.

It takes about ten years for a cancer to develop from the polyp in the same colon. While the tumor grows, minor symptoms appear, which most people do not pay attention to, but in vain.

Why arises

How intestinal cancer manifests itself, we will talk later, but let's talk about the causes of its occurrence right now. There are several reasons that are provocateurs of intestinal oncology:

1. Elderly age. According to statistics, people over fifty are susceptible to such diseases.
2. Bowel disease. At risk are people who have inflammatory pathologies in the intestines.
3. Heredity. If one of the relatives has a history of intestinal ailments, then this person runs the risk of getting a tumor.
4. Unhealthy Lifestyle. Doctors have long been saying that you can not drink much, smoke and eat junk food. And this is not tediousness, but concern for the health of citizens, because it is the wrong eating behavior and bad habits that provoke the development of cancer.

Among men, bowel cancer is in second place, but among women in third. It is important to understand that with age, the risk of developing cancer only increases, so preventive measures must be taken in advance. By the way, in medical terminology, the concept of colorectal cancer, which is intestinal cancer, is common.

Primary symptoms

The symptoms 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 normal indigestion.

We can advise you to be careful about yourself, then the signs of colon cancer in women and men will not come as a surprise. So, pay attention to the following symptoms:

1. A feeling of heaviness in the stomach, which is not associated with eating.
2. There was an aversion to fatty fried foods.
3. Decreased appetite, sudden weight loss.
4. Signs of dyspepsia.
5. Signs of anemia.
6. Diarrhea, which is followed by long constipation.
7. Blood in the feces.

Developmental stages

No matter what you discover for yourself, what are the symptoms and signs of small bowel cancer. Diagnosis reveals the stages of the disease more accurately. There are only five of them, and we will talk about each in detail. It is important to understand that until the second stage of the primary signs, they 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 pains appear.

So, let's look at how the various stages of the disease go:

1. Zero stage. Atypical cells begin to accumulate at this time, which begin to rapidly divide. They can degenerate into cancer cells at any time. While the pathological process is limited within the mucous membranes.
2. First stage. The cancerous tumor begins to grow rapidly, but so far does not go beyond the intestinal wall. Metastases, too, have 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.
3. The second stage is characterized by the growth of a tumor, which begins to penetrate through the walls of the intestine. The tumor is already between two and five centimeters.
4. Third stage. Here it is possible to identify the disease not only with the help of diagnostics: the signs and symptoms of cancer of the small intestine also manifest themselves quite clearly. A person can already understand for himself that there is some kind of disorder with the body, and research will confirm this. At this stage, cancer cells have increased activity. The tumor not only penetrates the intestinal wall, but also rapidly grows in size. Cancer cells begin to invade the lymph nodes. Lesions of neighboring tissues and organs are observed, they already have focal lesions.
5. Fourth stage. The tumor has already reached its maximum in size and metastasized to those organs that are located farthest. The body is affected by toxins, which are formed due to the waste products of cancer. As a result, the work of all organs and systems is disrupted.
6. Fifth stage. It is considered the very last, on which the patient can no longer be helped. The tumor is not only huge, but also metastasized everywhere, which means it has become inoperable.

How many people live depends on how large the formation is in the body, and what is its ability to localize. Cancer cells that spread only along the surface layer of the epithelium leave a chance to survive 85% of patients. If the muscle layer is also affected, then the survival rate drops sharply to 67%.

Types of education

We examined the first signs of bowel cancer. According to reviews, this is how it really happens. Let's look at the types of bowel cancer.

Doctors distinguish:

1. Colloid cancer.
2. Adenocarcinoma.
3. Cricoid-cell.
4. Unidentified.
5. Squamous cell.

In most cases, patients have an adenocarcinoma. This is called glandular cancer, which begins from the epithelium of the intestinal mucosa. These tumors can be low-grade, high- and medium-sized. The prognosis for the patient largely depends on the determination of the degree. The cricoid-cell type of cancer affects even young people, but squamous usually occurs in the rectum.

Manifestation in adults

Do not believe the information on the Internet, if only because it’s not a runny nose and it’s necessary to treat such a serious disease in the hospital, and not to plantain. We have already said that cancer appears only in the later stages. The patient does not notice signs of the disease, and therefore pays attention to them too late. We have listed the risk groups above, and if you enter at least one, we recommend that you listen to yourself even more carefully.

In adults, the oncological process proceeds as follows:

1. 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 bloating and flatulence, which occurs after the patient goes to the toilet. This is an important sign of bowel cancer. Reviews of doctors are proof of this. Aesculapius confirms that self-care can prevent a serious illness. Do not ignore flatulence and bloating.
2. Enterocolitis type colon cancer can be detected in time if you pay attention to constantly changing stools - from diarrhea to constipation.
3. With a dyspeptic type of cancer, a person has a constant belching, bitterness in the mouth or heartburn.
4. Pseudo-inflammatory oncology is characterized by vomiting, nausea, fever, chills and severe pain.
5. Cancer of the cystic species manifests itself as painful urination with impurities of blood.

Often people complain of a feeling of fullness even after they go to the toilet. 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 bright signal that not everything is in order with the body.

Do not be fooled by drowsiness, general weakness, that you quickly get tired. It is better to be examined right away than to treat a serious illness later.

The first signs of cancer of the intestine and rectum, as we have already said, are not particularly pronounced, but hereafter 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 section, then patients note:

1. The presence of blood in the stool.
2. Diarrhea.
3. Anemia
4. Pain in the abdomen.

When the tumor is located in the left part, the first signs of cancer of the intestine and rectum appear:

1. Constant constipation, difficulty during bowel movements, blood in the stool.
2. Alternating constipation and loose stools. So, it happens because the lumen of the colon relaxes and narrows.
3. It is difficult for a person to go to the toilet, feces comes out with blood and mucus, while the patient complains of pain.

But that is not all. Symptoms of bowel cancer of the small intestine include periodically occurring pains in the abdomen, which give a coppery taste in the mouth. This type of oncology is characterized by nausea and vomiting, anemia, loss of impaired liver function and sudden weight loss.

The defeat of the sigmoid colon is accompanied by various impurities in the feces (mucus, pus, blood), intoxication of the body, false urge to empty, flatulence, severe pain during going to the toilet.

Other symptoms

We have already found 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 in gender. So, in men, the prostate first suffers, 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 arise due to cancer, then a favorable outcome remains in doubt. In women, education of this kind can occur after thirty-five years, and if you manage to identify it in the primary stage, then metastases in the uterus will not go.

Patients primarily experience general weakness, the usual signs of dyspepsia, and only then do the symptoms of the tumor appear. The initial diagnosis of signs and symptoms of bowel cancer occurs through a survey. The doctor determines if the patient has the following:

1. Pain when trying to empty the intestines, which are constantly repeated.
2. Blood in the feces.
3. Menstrual cycle failure.
4. Impaired urination.
5. Blood discharge in the daily urine rate.
6. Lack of appetite and sharp weight loss.
7. Aversion to fatty and fried foods.

If the disease is already at a late stage, then it manifests itself:

1. Dryness and pallor of the skin.
2. Fatigue and weakness.
3. Headaches and frequent dizziness.
4. Depletion and unmotivated weight loss.
5. The defeat of other organs and systems.
6. Anemia and low levels of protein in the body.

Metastases

As a rule, metastases from a tumor first enter the liver. They also often penetrate into the lymph nodes of the retroperitoneal space, directly the peritoneum, abdominal organs, lungs, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries. Pelvic organs, pancreas and bladder suffer no less.

There are unfavorable factors that make it possible to predict not the best outcome.

1. If the tumor grows into the fatty layer.
2. Cancer cells have a low degree of differentiation.
3. The large intestine has openings.
4. Metastases penetrate the veins and adjacent organs and thereby close the lumen.
5. The cancer-embryonic antigen, even before surgery, has a high plasma concentration. This suggests that the risk of relapse is very high, while it does not matter what stage of the disease.

Patients with signs of cancer of the stomach and intestines are divided into two groups:

1. With multiple metastases.
2. With single metastases.

Diagnostics

What signs of colon and rectal cancer indicate 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, learns whether there are people in the family history who have been 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 will be a doctor's examination of your body, sometimes it is enough to palpate the area, and the tumor will be noticeable through the abdominal wall. At the first examination, the Aesculapius conducts a digital examination of the rectum.

The first stages of the disease signal that not everything is normal, with slightly expressed 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 suggests oncology.

What does a blood test say?

What are the first signs of bowel cancer that can be seen through a blood test? What will help to suggest and identify the disease in the early stages? If the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin decreases, then this already says a lot. White blood cells, as a rule, increase, and the ESR index becomes quite high. The analysis also shows increased blood coagulation and tumor markers.

How is the diagnosis confirmed?

The first signs of colon cancer may not indicate a disease. The doctor will confirm the diagnosis only if the following tests are positive:

1. Irrigoscopy. This is called intestinal x-ray. An x-ray is taken after an radiopaque substance is injected through the enema. For these purposes, barium suspension is used.
2. Sigmoidoscopy. The site is examined, which is located at a depth of thirty centimeters from the anus. The doctor uses a special device for this, thanks to which the intestinal walls are visible.
3. Colonoscopy The examination is carried out at a distance of one hundred centimeters from the anus through the probe.
4. A study of feces for occult blood, which is carried out in a laboratory.
5. MRI and CT to determine the location of the tumor and the absence or presence of metastases.

Treatment

Once again, we say that with self-diagnosis, you should not listen to reviews. The first signs of bowel cancer may be different in different patients, and therefore you should not take them as a diagnosis. People on the Internet often share their opinions, but this does not mean that they have a medical education, and therefore they cannot be trusted. Do not search the Internet for colon cancer and 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 can not be cured quickly. Tune in to a long process in advance and approach treatment as seriously as possible. According to statistics, the operation helps best, because during it the tissues 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 introduced into the rectum through the anus. When the disease is detected at the last stage, then extensive surgery is indispensable. Sometimes you even have to remove part of the intestine in order to save the life of the patient.

What else is included in the treatment? Depending on how small bowel or colon cancer appears, the following methods are used:

1. Radiation therapy. The tumor is exposed to x-rays, because it destroys malignant cells and stops their growth.
2. 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 healthy cells, which is why the method has so many “side effects” from hair loss to constant vomiting and nausea.
3. Radiotherapy This method is considered preparatory before surgery. She is prescribed after surgery.

Chemotherapy is used by a systematic method: after and before surgery. Sometimes drugs are injected into the blood vessels that feed metastases. As a rule, 5-fluororucil is used for chemistry, 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 for the action of chemistry to intensify, immunocorrectors are also used. The latter include stimulants of cellular and humoral immunity and interferonogens.

Sample forecast

We have already examined how the symptoms of bowel cancer 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 is left for them. So, we can say that life expectancy depends on at what stage the disease was discovered.

If the disease was found at the initial stage, then approximately 90% of all cases survive, with the data 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 predictions are usually given if the disease is too neglected or the rectum is very affected, especially the distal section.

So, we found out above how intestinal 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 see the disease, the forecasts are very encouraging. Survives up to 95% of patients with successful surgery.

As for the second stage, when the symptoms are already more noticeable and the neoplasm begins to creep into neighboring organs, then about 75% of patients survive in this case. It turns out that those people who underwent surgery well are cured, and radiation therapy has given the desired results.

The third stage is characterized by large sizes of formation and penetration into the lymph nodes. Survival rates are decreasing, and half the sick can get rid of the disease.

But at the fourth stage, unfortunately, there are practically no chances. Malignant formation penetrates into organs located nearby, extensive metastases are formed. With all these indicators, only 4% can survive.

Prevention

How does intestinal cancer manifest itself? We have already considered the first signs of a complex disease, but let us move on to preventive measures. Thus, we consider options that will help not to get sick, even though oncological diseases arise suddenly and insidiously. First of all, those who have a relative with a history of intestinal diseases or oncological ailments should be engaged in prevention. It is worth worrying for people who suffer from diseases that can transform into cancer and those who are already over forty years old.

What general recommendations can be made?

1. Increased level of physical activity.
2. Rejection of bad habits.
3. Add fiber-rich foods to your diet.

It seems to all of us that these recommendations do not bring any benefit and doctors repeat them out of harm, but in reality this is not so. All this is done for your own good, and not to the detriment. Have a medical examination every year, and then the risks of getting sick will significantly decrease.

It is worth consulting a doctor if you already have certain symptoms.

Conclusion

Do not neglect the advice of doctors and hope for a chance. It is important to monitor your health from youth, then there will be chances to live a long and happy life. Unfortunately, young people do not want to see doctors and think about the future, but in vain. It is now you are healthy and nothing bothers you, but children will appear soon, and the age will increase, so it is better to be careful right now.

Someone says that modern ecology is much worse than bad habits, and in part he is right. But, on the other hand, you can change your place of residence without poisoning yourself, but what you inhale and pour in will remain with you. Consider whether a cigarette is worth the torment of chemotherapy or multiple surgeries. We bet no.

More effective once again not to smoke or drink than to die very early. Oncological diseases differ in that they overtake suddenly when you are not waiting at all. What's bad 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 than 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 a few doctors, and then it will become clear from most verdicts who is right. Even if you heard a terrible diagnosis, then do not despair. There are many cases 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 your loved ones. When, if not now? Suddenly there will be no more time? Do not put off love and affection for family members, say the words of love, show how you need them, and life will be filled with meaning. You will understand that it makes no sense to die, and the disease will begin to go away. Be healthy.