The intestine is part of the digestive system and is divided into two parts: large intestine and small intestine. In turn, the colon and rectum make up the colon. The article will focus on such an ailment as intestinal oncology. Symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, causes of the disease - all these aspects will be paid attention to in the material presented, but first you need to understand what structure and functions this body has.
Intestine anatomy
The food absorbed by a person first appears in the esophagus. It passes through it and enters the stomach, where the digestion process begins. Then the food enters the small intestine, and it is at this stage that the body absorbs all the nutrients from it. In the colon, which begins in the abdominal cavity, lower right, the body takes water from food. The first part of the colon, going up, is the ascending colon. Then from her to the left side of the peritoneum stretches the transverse colon. Further to the bottom of the abdominal cavity descends the descending colon. The large intestine ends with the sigmoid colon, the rectum and the terminal part - the anal canal. In the rectum, waste resulting from the digestion process accumulates. Due to defecation, they are excreted through the anus from the body. Near the intestine are still pea-sized lymph nodes.
Risk factors
Intestinal oncology, the symptoms of which will be discussed below, often represents colon cancer: in 2/3 of the cases, the colon and in 1/3 of the rectum are affected. In other parts of the body, a tumor forms extremely rarely. The question of how to check the intestines for oncology is not the most important. The main thing is to know what factors can trigger the appearance of a tumor. There are three main conditions:
- organ diseases;
- malnutrition;
- heredity.
Let's talk more about each.
Bowel disease
There are diseases that increase the risk of cancer of this organ. These include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Patients who have been diagnosed with these are predisposed to tumor formation.
Nutrition
Oncology of the large intestine, the symptoms of which are absent in the first stages of the disease, can be caused by the consumption of large amounts of food rich in proteins and fats, provided that there is insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables. In this case, the risk of developing colon cancer increases significantly. A tumor may appear in those who abuse alcohol.
Heredity
More than others, people are predisposed to intestinal oncology , in the family of which there have already been cases of such an ailment. It is especially worrying for those whose close relatives suffered cancer of this organ under the age of 45 years. The risk is higher, the more cases of the development of such a disease in the family. If you have a hereditary predisposition and fear of getting sick, you should contact a specialized medical institution and pass an analysis for intestinal oncology. Doctors through it will be able to calculate the likelihood of cancer. People who are at risk should not be alarmed when the first signs of bowel oncology appear, but long before that. It should be examined regularly so that if a tumor nucleates, it can be detected at an early stage.
In addition to these factors, conditions such as a sedentary lifestyle, overweight, and smoking can also influence the appearance of cancer.
Intestinal Oncology: Symptoms
Depending on where the tumor develops, the manifestations of cancer may vary. The first signs of bowel oncology in case of colon damage:
- sharp weight loss;
- blood during bowel movements both on feces and inside them (blood can be both light and dark);
- pain in the abdominal cavity and anus;
- changes in stool for no apparent reason (constipation or diarrhea lasting more than six weeks);
- bowel obstruction ;
- a feeling of incompleteness after a bowel movement.
Bowel oncology symptoms may cause slightly different symptoms if the tumor develops in the rectum. In this case, the following manifestations are possible:
- soreness in the tailbone, perineum, lower back, sacrum;
- the appearance in the stool of blood, mucus or pus;
- painful and frequent urge to defecate;
- a feeling of the presence of something foreign in the rectum;
- constipation
- the acquisition of feces ribbon-shaped.
There are symptoms - then cancer?
Do not take the above signs as an absolute indicator of cancer development. Even if they do occur, this does not mean that you definitely have oncology of the intestine. Symptoms may indicate other diseases, such as CRT or ulcerative colitis. In addition, do not forget that cancer of this organ usually occurs in people after 50 years. If you are a younger generation, then most likely the cause of the unpleasant symptoms lies elsewhere.
Nevertheless, if signs of intestinal oncology appear and do not disappear within a couple of weeks, but only intensify, you should immediately visit a doctor.
Diagnostics
A rectal examination is the first step in identifying a tumor. During it, a specialist checks the area of the anus with a finger for swelling. The lower part of the intestine, in which cancer most often develops, can be examined with a sigmoidoscope, a flexible tube inserted into the rectum. Such manipulations do not always allow us to accurately determine the cause of painful symptoms. One of the main ways to check your intestines for oncology is through colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy
The examination is done on condition of an empty organ, so the day before it, the patient is prescribed laxatives, intensive drinking and bowel lavage. The procedure itself is painless, although it can cause some discomfort.
First, a sedative is administered to the patient, and then a flexible, long tube is inserted through the anus into the colon. Moving it along the bends of the intestine, the doctor examines the organ for the presence of abnormalities. Using this tube, you can take biopsy samples and take pictures.
Barium enema
This is a procedure that allows you to examine the inner surface of an organ. It is quite unpleasant and tiring, and it can also cause cramping pains. You need to prepare for the examination as in a colonoscopy. The method consists in introducing a mixture of barium with air into the anus and performing a series of x-rays. Under the influence of radioactive rays, barium becomes visible, and a specialist can track on the screen of an X-ray machine how it passes through the intestines and see tumors in the intestinal wall.
After the procedure, white feces can be observed for two days - this barium is gradually excreted from the body. A laxative should be taken for several days, since the substance can cause constipation.
To find out if the cancer has spread to the rest of the body, studies can be done such as ultrasound of the liver, CT of the liver and abdomen, chest x-ray.
Intestinal Oncology: Treatment
The main way to remove the tumor is surgery. Usually during the operation, the tumor itself, the surrounding tissue and nearby lymph nodes are excised. The two ends of the intestine are then connected. If this is not possible, a colostomy is performed, which consists in removing the open end of the intestine on the skin surface of the abdominal wall and attaching a colostomy receiver. It happens that the colostomy is temporary, and after some time, the surgeons again try to connect the ends of the intestine. If this does not succeed, the air bag remains forever. Usually this happens when the operated site is in the colon very low, near the rectum, and then during the operation, you can not disrupt the anal sphincter, which controls intestinal administration.
Other treatments
Currently, advances in surgery have made it possible to treat bowel cancer without a colostomy. Instead of manual stitching, a stapler is often used now, which allows operations on the lower part of the colon to be performed without disturbing the functions of the anal sphincter.
One of the innovative methods is laparoscopic intervention, when the surgeon performs an operation through a small incision in the peritoneum, and does not open it completely. This approach provides the patient with quick recovery.
Adjuvant therapy
Even if the tumor is completely removed, there is a chance of recurrence of bowel cancer . How large it is can be found during a microscopic examination of distant neoplasms. If the risk of a return of the disease is high, the doctor prescribes treatment aimed at preventing relapse. This treatment is called adjuvant therapy, it consists in taking various chemicals that are detrimental to the causative agents of the disease.
If the tumor has developed in the rectum and has grown through the wall of the organ, affecting the lymph nodes, then relapse in the pelvic organs and other parts of the body is possible. In this case, adjuvant radiotherapy is carried out along with adjuvant chemotherapy . They resort to this method of treatment, even if there are no cancer cells left in the body.
Finally
With the help of surgical intervention, adjuvant chemo- and radiotherapy, approximately half of all patients who are diagnosed with intestinal oncology are currently cured. The cure rates are increasing every year, which gives us hope that in the future there will be much less deaths from this terrible disease. The main thing is to carefully monitor your condition and if you detect suspicious symptoms, consult a doctor immediately. Be healthy!