When should you be concerned about rectal cancer? If you’ve experienced changes in your bowel habits, notice blood in the stool, or are experiencing general abdominal discomfort, you may be experiencing rectal cancer. This disease is often asymptomatic, but it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. While no rectal cancer symptoms can be predicted with 100% accuracy, rectal cancer symptoms can be a clue that you may have the disease.
To diagnose rectal cancer, your doctor will need to know the stage and location of the disease. Stage 1 cancer has grown into the rectum’s wall and surrounding tissues. Stage 2 and 3 cancers have spread to lymph nodes and distant organs. This is called metastatic cancer, and it can spread to any part of your body. Stage 4 cancer has spread beyond the rectum’s wall. If you’ve reached this stage, you’ll be undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Surgery is almost always necessary to cure rectal cancer. A surgeon will open the abdomen or anus and remove the tumor and nearby lymph nodes, as well as a small portion of the rectum on either side of the tumor. In very rare cases, a colostomy may be required. The surgical procedures vary in their complexity, but most require surgery. If a patient’s cancer is small, a transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) procedure can be used.
While chemoradiation and radiation may shrink a tumor, the treatment for rectal cancer largely depends on the stage. The survival rate varies from patient to patient, so your doctor may decide to wait and see if the cancer improves or progresses. If the tumor is small, however, surgery is likely the best option. If the stage is early, surgery will be unnecessary, so your doctor can treat it before it spreads.
Advanced minimally invasive surgery may also be necessary for patients with certain types of rectal cancer. In fact, 20% of rectal cancer surgeries are unable to be performed through laparoscopy or other minimally invasive techniques. The only private surgeon in San Diego who performs the TATME procedure is Dr. Schultzel. If you’re worried about rectal cancer, don’t wait – make an appointment today. It may just save your life.
The main cause of rectal cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the rectum, which are part of the large intestine. The rectum lies near other organs, and uncontrolled cell growth can lead to polyps that may develop into cancer. Although the symptoms are similar to colon cancer, they differ. Rectal cancer is a difficult disease to treat. You can seek treatment in the early stages of the disease, but you should consult with a doctor right away to avoid complications and to help you make a healthy choice.
After the surgery, you may be treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The chemotherapy treatments are often given prior to surgery, but sometimes they may be used as adjuvant therapy as well. The best way to choose the right chemotherapy regimen depends on your personal circumstances. The chemo treatment will vary based on where the cancer is located. If the cancer has spread to nearby organs, a pelvic exenteration may be necessary. You should also consider the type and stage of rectal cancer.
