A patient with rectal cancer may be considering clinical trials for new treatments. Cancer of the rectum develops when abnormal cells grow in the submucosa, muscles, or mucosa of the rectum. If cancer spreads to these areas, it can cause symptoms in nearby lymph nodes and other organs. Fortunately, there are several treatments available that can help a patient with rectum cancer.
The survival rate for patients with rectum cancer is approximately 70%. There is a high risk for metastasis to other parts of the body. Patients with rectum cancer are twice as likely as those with colon cancer to develop extra-abdominal metastasis. If metastasis occurs to the lung, the patients may require more invasive procedures. Although rectum cancer patients generally recover faster than those with colon cancer, their prognosis can still be poor.
Genetics play a major role in developing rectal cancer. A gene mutation increases the risk for this condition. This mutation is passed on from parent to child. If a person has a gene mutation, he or she is at a high risk for developing colorectal cancer. Genetics do not determine whether you will develop colorectal cancer, but they do increase the chances of getting it. A doctor can order tests that look at the rectum and detect cancer cells in your bowel.
Multidisciplinary conferences are recommended for rectal cancer management. These conferences should include physicians in medical oncology, diagnostic radiology, surgery, pathology, geriatrics, nursing, and patient support groups. The multidisciplinary team should also discuss organ preservation. Various treatment options are available, including endoscopic surgery, nonoperative management, and surgical resection. These conferences should consider whether organ preservation is possible for a patient with complete clinical response.
The most common symptom of rectum cancer is a change in bowel habits. People with rectum cancer may experience alternating bouts of diarrhoea and constipation. Stools may be bloody or mucus-laden. The person may also have a general feeling of unease, fatigue, and a listlessness. In addition to these symptoms, a person with rectum cancer may experience other symptoms.
A person’s risk for developing rectal cancer increases with age. The average age of diagnosis is 63 for both men and women. The risk for rectal cancer is higher in Black people, though the reasons are not yet understood. In addition to age, family history of rectal cancer is another risk factor. Other risk factors for rectal cancer include certain health conditions and disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease, smoking, and being overweight.
Although rectum and colon cancer share many risk factors, recent studies suggest that the incidence and survival rates of these cancers are different and should be analyzed separately to better target public health interventions. In this study, researchers collected data from the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System for the years 1998-2002 from 16 counties in the Twin Cities metro area. They used Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank test to analyze differences in survival among these cancer types.
