What is colorectal cancer?
Large intestine is the last portion of the digestive system. Its main function is to turn the unabsorbed food residue into stool, and remove them from the body by peristalsis. The intestine membrane is formed by glandular cells. Normal cells may take 10 or more years to turn into cancer cells. During these times, normal cells undergo numerous stages of gene mutation, from normal membrane to polyp, and from polyp to colorectal cancer. Since carcinogenesis takes a long and complicated process, colorectal cancer can be avoided to some extent.
What are the causes?
The causes of colorectal cancer are not clear. Yet, the following factors may increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer:
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Familial tendency
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Hereditary
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High fatty diet, lack of exercise and overweight/obese
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of early colorectal cancer are not obvious, but if the following signs appear, you must seek medical advice immediately:
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Bleeding from the anus
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Blood in stool
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Feeling the urge to move bowel constantly
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Mucus in the stool
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Change of the habit of bowel movement suddenly and persistently (maybe frequent movement or consistent constipation)
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Abrupt weight loss
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Later stage patients may have abdominal pain or feeling a hard mass in the abdomen
What are the treatment methods for colorectal cancer?
The treatment methods are mainly surgery. Basically, the surgery is to remove the tumor and the surrounding lymphatic tissues. At present, some hospitals provide Laparoscopic assisted colectomy (LAC) for appropriate colorectal cancer patients. Some patients may need to undergo adjuvant chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy.
How to prevent colorectal cancer?
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Avoid over consumption of red meat and fatty foods
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Don't smoke and restrict drinking
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Consume 6-8 tael of vegatables and 2 pieces of fruit a day
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Eat high fiber food, e.g. porridge, brown bread etc.
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Maintain healthy weight (BMI of Asian adults is between 18.5 and 22.9)
Information source:
The Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society