Despite the similarities between rectal and colon cancers, treatment for rectal cancer is significantly different. Rectal cancer is located in a tight area, making surgery extremely complicated. Long-term survival is rare, but advances in treatment have increased survival rates dramatically. The good news is that the chances of surviving rectal cancer are much better than in the past. Here are the key differences between colon and rectal cancer. A common question for people with these cancers is, “What are my treatment options?”
The first step in surgery for rectal cancer is to establish a pneumorectum with a purse-string PDS 2-0 suture placed just below the tumour. Next, the distal mucosa is marked with a diathermy hook. Then, the surgeon performs the posterior dissection in front of the presacral fascia, and the anterior dissection begins when the patient enters the rectoprostatic plane in a male. In addition, the surgeon then completes the operation by opening the peritoneum with a lateral dissection.
The taTME technique is an innovative surgery for rectum cancer. The rectum is dissected transanally using TME principles. This technique is sometimes referred to as a “down-to-up” technique. However, residual mesorectum is found in 3.1% of taTME and 46.9% of laTME patients, a result that may be related to the type of surgery used. Male gender and BMI were not significant risk factors.
Inheritance: Genetic mutations in certain genes can increase your risk for colon and rectal cancer. People with Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, tend to develop colon cancer before they reach the age of 50. Another genetic disorder that increases the risk of rectal cancer is familial adenomatous polyposis, or FAP. If left untreated, FAP increases the risk of colon cancer.
