09:01 PM
Saturday, December 10, 2022
I wrote – Asmaa Morsi
There are several stages to colorectal cancer, and spotting the signs and symptoms of the condition is one way to prevent the disease from progressing further.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world.
At first, one may develop polyps in the colon and rectum, and over time, these benign tumors may turn into colon cancer.
Stages of colorectal cancer:
Stage 0: Also known as localized carcinoma, this is the first stage of colorectal cancer. In this stage, cancer cells begin to develop in the inner lining of the colon or rectum.
Stage 1: In this stage, the disease begins to penetrate the lining of the colon or rectum and grow into the muscle layer. However, in this stage, the disease does not reach the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Stage 2: Cancer begins to spread to the walls of the colon/rectum as well as nearby tissues and the wall.
Stage III: The disease begins to spread to the lymph nodes, however, it does not spread to other parts of the body.
The fourth stage: It is considered the last stage of the disease, as this disease begins to spread to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs, or other organs.
Symptoms:
The symptoms of the disease change depending on the stage of the cancer. If you have stage 0 colorectal cancer, your symptoms will be different when compared to those of stage 3 of the disease. Here are some common symptoms that you may notice:
diarrhea.
blood in the stool
abdominal pain
constipation.
Changes in stool color.
bleeding from the rectum
increased gas
bloating
Some of these symptoms may also be the result of other health conditions, however, if symptoms persist, a specialist should be consulted immediately, to prevent the spread of the disease, and for a colon cancer screening.
Symptoms of stages 3 and 4 may differ from those of the initial stages. Here are some of the symptoms of advanced stages of cancer.
severe weakness
Excessive weight loss.
excessive fatigue
A feeling that your bowels are not completely empty.
vomiting.
When cancer spreads to other parts and organs of the body, you may also notice the following symptoms:
hard breathing.
Bone fractures.
Chronic headache.
Swelling of the hands and feet.
Yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Difficulty seeing.
Types of colorectal cancer:
There is more than one type, and it depends on the type of cells that turn cancerous.
Other types of cancer develop because of the formation of tumors.
Carcinoids: These are tumors that begin to develop in the hormone-producing cells within the intestine.
Sarcomas: These are tumors that develop in the soft tissues of the colon or rectum, such as the muscles.
Lymphoma: These are tumors that develop in the lymph nodes or in the colon.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: These are tumors that first develop to be benign, and later become cancerous.
– Methods of Treatment:
There are different types of treatments, all of which depend on the stage of the disease.
1- Surgery:
There are different types of surgeries, and it depends on the stage of the cancer. If it is in the early stages, the specialist doctor will recommend surgeries to remove benign tumors or cancerous cells.
However, if the disease has reached advanced stages, you may need surgeries where the affected part of the colon and rectum is removed, and also a separate way for waste to leave the body.
2- Radiotherapy:
Doctors use radiation to kill cancer cells, usually before surgery to reduce the size of cancer cells. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may also be recommended if surgery isn’t an option.
3- Immunotherapy:
It is a type of drug treatment that enables the immune system in a way that it can fight cancer, and it is usually recommended for people who have advanced stages of the disease.
4- Chemotherapy:
In this type of treatment, there are drugs used to destroy cancerous cells. This procedure is usually used following surgery and when the disease has spread to the lymph nodes, and to reduce the size of the cancer.
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