Oncology of the intestine: symptoms, causes, treatment

The intestine is part of the digestive system and is divided into two parts: the large intestine and the small intestine. In turn, the colon consists of the rectum and colon. The article will deal with such an ailment as oncology of the intestine. Symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, causes of the disease - all these aspects will be given attention in the material presented, but first you need to understand what structure and what functions this body has.

Anatomy of the intestine

The food absorbed by the person, at first appears in an esophagus. It passes through it and enters the stomach, where the process of digestion begins. Then the food enters the small intestine, and it is at this stage that the body absorbs all the nutrients from it. In the colon, which begins in the abdominal region, at the bottom right, the body takes water from the food. The first part of the colon, going upwards, is the ascending bypass gut. Then a transverse colon extends from it to the left side of the peritoneum. Further down to the abdominal cavity descends the descending colon. The large intestine ends with the sigmoid colon, the rectum and the terminal part - the anal canal. In the rectum, the wastes collected from the digestion process accumulate. As a result of defecation, they are removed from the body through the anus. Next to the intestine are still lymph nodes in the size of a pea.

Risk factors

Oncology of the intestine, the symptoms of which will be discussed below, is often a colon cancer: in 2/3 of cases the colon is affected and in 1/3 - the rectum. In other parts of the body, the tumor is extremely rare. The question of how to test the intestine for oncology is not the most important. The main thing is to know what factors can trigger the appearance of the tumor. There are three basic conditions:

• Organ disease;
• Malnutrition;
• heredity.

Let's talk more about each.

Diseases of the intestine

There are diseases that increase the risk of developing cancer of this organ. These include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Patients who received such diagnoses get a predisposition to the formation of a tumor.

Food

Oncology of the large intestine, the symptoms of which are absent in the first stages of the disease, can be caused by the consumption of a large amount of food rich in proteins and fats, provided insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. In this case, the risk of developing colon cancer is significantly increased. A tumor can appear in those who abuse alcohol.

Heredity

More than others, predisposed to oncology of the intestines are people whose family already had cases of such a disease. Particularly worried about is the fact that close relatives have suffered cancer of this organ before the age of 45 years. The higher the risk, the more cases of development of such a disease in the family. If there is a hereditary predisposition and a fear of getting sick, you should go to a specialized medical institution and take an analysis for bowel oncology. Doctors will be able to calculate the likelihood of cancer. People who are at risk should be alerted not when the first signs of bowel cancer appear, but long before that. It should be regularly monitored, so that in the case of the onset of a tumor, it can be identified at an early stage.

In addition to these factors, the appearance of cancer can be influenced by other conditions such as a sedentary lifestyle, excessive weight, smoking.

Oncology of the intestine: symptoms

Depending on where the tumor develops, the manifestations of cancer may also differ. The first signs of bowel oncology in case of defeat of the colon:

• A sharp decrease in weight;
• Blood during defecation both on excrement, and inside them (blood can be both light and dark);
• Painful sensations in the abdominal cavity and anus;
• Changes in the stool for no apparent reason (constipation or diarrhea lasting more than six weeks);
• Intestinal obstruction ;
• A feeling of incompleteness after a bowel movement.

Oncology of the intestinal symptoms can cause several others if the tumor develops in the rectum. In this case, such manifestations are possible:

• Soreness in the coccyx, perineum, waist, sacrum;
• Appearance in the stool of blood, mucus or pus;
• Painful and frequent urge to defecate;
• The feeling of having something in the rectum;
• Constipation;
• Acquisition of feces by a feces.

There are symptoms - does it mean cancer?

Do not take the above signs as an absolute indicator of cancer. Even if they take place, this does not mean that you have an oncology of the intestine. Symptoms may indicate other diseases, such as SSRT or ulcerative colitis. In addition, do not forget that the cancer of this organ occurs usually in people after 50 years. If you belong to the younger generation, then most likely the cause of unpleasant symptoms lies in the other.

Nevertheless, if there are signs of bowel oncology and do not disappear within a couple of weeks, but only intensify, you should immediately visit a doctor.

Diagnostics

Rectal examination is the first step to detecting a tumor. In the course of it, the expert checks the area of the anus with a finger for the presence of swelling. The lower part of the intestine, in which the cancer most often develops, can be examined with the help of a sigmoidoscope - a flexible tube inserted into the rectum. Such manipulations by no means always allow to determine with accuracy the cause of painful symptoms. One of the main ways of how to check the intestine for oncology is a colonoscopy.

Conducting a colonoscopy

Examination is done under the condition of the emptied organ, therefore the day before the patient is prescribed the intake of laxatives, intensive drinking and washing of the intestine. The procedure itself is painless, although it can bring some discomfort.

First, the patient is given a sedative, and then a flexible long tube is inserted into the large intestine through the anal opening. Moving her along the bends of the intestine, the doctor examines the body for the presence of anomalies. Using this tube, you can take biopsy samples and take photographs.

Barium enema

This is a procedure that allows you to examine the internal surface of the organ. It is quite unpleasant and tiring, and can also cause cramping pains. Prepare for the examination should be the same as with a colonoscopy. The method consists in introducing into the anus a mixture of barium with air and performing a series of X-ray photographs. Under the influence of radioactive rays, barium becomes visible, and the specialist can track on the X-ray machine screen as it passes through the intestine and see tumors in the intestinal wall.

After the procedure for two days, white feces can be observed - this barium is gradually eliminated from the body. It should be a few days to take a laxative drug, because the substance is capable of causing constipation.

To determine whether the cancer has spread to the rest of the body, studies such as ultrasound of the liver, CT of the liver and abdominal cavity, and chest X-ray can be performed.

Oncology of the intestine: treatment

The main way to remove the tumor is surgery. Usually, the tumor itself, surrounding tissues and nearby lymph nodes are cut out during the operation. The two ends of the intestine are then connected. If this is not possible, a colostomy is performed, which consists in moving the open end of the intestine to the skin surface of the abdominal wall and attaching the calicator. It happens that the colostomy is temporary, and after a while the surgeons again attempt to connect the ends of the intestine. If this does not work out, the kalospriemnik remains forever. Usually this happens when the operated area is very low in the colon, near the rectum, and then during the operation it is impossible not to disturb the anal sphincter, which controls intestinal departures.

Other treatments

Currently, advances in surgery have made it possible to treat intestinal cancer without conducting colostomy. Instead of sewing by hand, a stapling device is often used now, which makes it possible to perform operations on the lower part of the colon without breaking the functions of the anal sphincter.

One of the innovative methods is laparoscopic intervention, when the surgeon performs the operation through a small incision in the peritoneum, and does not disclose it completely. To the patient this approach provides a quick recovery.

Adjuvant therapy

Even if the tumor is completely removed, there is a chance of a relapse of bowel cancer. As far as it is large, one can learn in the course of a microscopic study of the removed neoplasms. If the risk of returning the disease is high, the doctor prescribes treatment aimed at preventing relapse. This treatment is called adjuvant therapy, it consists in the intake of various chemicals that have a harmful effect on the causative agents of the disease.

If the tumor has developed in the rectum and has grown through the organ wall, affecting the lymph nodes, then a relapse in the pelvic organs and other parts of the body is possible. In this case, along with adjuvant chemotherapy , adjuvant radiotherapy is also performed. To this method of treatment resorted, even if cancer cells in the body did not remain.

Finally

With the help of surgical intervention, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, about half of all patients who are diagnosed with oncology of the intestine can now be cured. The indicators of recovery are increasing every year, which gives us hope that in the future, the deaths from this terrible disease will be much less. The main thing is to closely monitor your condition and immediately find a doctor when suspicious symptoms are detected. Be healthy!