Rectal cancer is mostly 'drag' out? Advice: There are 5 kinds of situations in the body, it is better to check early
Last year, Ryuichi Sakamoto, a well-known Japanese musician, writer, and actor, broke the news of his second cancer. He was diagnosed with throat cancer 8 years ago and has been receiving radiation therapy and drug treatment in recent years. He did not expect to have cancer again in 2021, and it was rectal cancer.
In the latest issue of this year's "New Wave ( July issue )" magazine, Sakamoto Ryuichi talked about his cancer experience.
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In June 2020, Sakamoto Ryuichi was found to have rectal cancer during the examination, and the effect was not good after several months of treatment. At the end of the year, Ryuichi Sakamoto suddenly felt memory loss and went to the hospital for a brain examination, which found that the rectal cancer had metastasized to the liver, lymph and lungs .
Doctors said his condition was serious, but his body could no longer receive radiation therapy, and even with powerful anti-cancer drugs, the five-year survival rate was only 50%. Without treatment, life may be as short as 6 months.
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The doctor's judgment hit Ryuichi Sakamoto deeply, but he didn't want to give up.
In early 2021, Ryuichi Sakamoto underwent a 20-hour major operation to remove the primary tumor of the rectum (about 30cm in length), two liver metastases and metastatic lymph nodes.
Subsequently, he has performed 6 operations, large and small, to remove all the tumors that can be removed . When he thought everything was getting better, the doctor told him: " There are still lesions proliferating in the body , and no more surgery can be done ." In the end , Ryuichi Sakamoto chose to "coexist with cancer" and used only drugs for systemic treatment.
Reviewing his anti-cancer experience, Ryuichi Sakamoto couldn't help but sigh: "I am 70 years old with a new cancer. I don't know how many times I will see the full moon rise in my life."
1. Rectal cancer, who do you like to find?
According to statistics, nearly 400,000 people in China are diagnosed with rectal cancer every year, and most of the patients have developed into the middle and late stages when they are diagnosed. The cause of rectal cancer is not yet clear, but it is related to factors such as family inheritance, age, obesity, poor diet and smoking. Especially after the age of 40, the following high-risk groups need to pay attention:
People with a history of intestinal adenomas, intestinal tumors, and ulcerative colitis ;
People who have colorectal cancer in immediate family members;
· People who have had their gallbladder removed;
· People who have received pelvic radiation therapy;
· People who have been on a high-fat diet for a long time;
2. There are 5 kinds of symptoms, don't delay again and again
In China, the early diagnosis rate of rectal cancer is low, accounting for about 60% in the middle and advanced stages. Rectal cancer is easily mistaken for diseases such as enteritis, internal hemorrhoids, anal fissure or bacillary dysentery , which affects the diagnosis and treatment. Clinically, the 5-year survival rate for early-stage rectal cancer can be as high as 90%, but only 14% for advanced rectal cancer.
Therefore, when high-risk groups find related symptoms, they should be vigilant and check as soon as possible.
1. Persistent abdominal pain and bloating
The continued growth of the tumor leads to intestinal obstruction, causing symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain. The incidence of abdominal pain is relatively high .
2. Changes in bowel habits
Patients experience changes in bowel habits such as thinner stools, a sudden increase or decrease in the number of bowel movements, constipation or alternating constipation and diarrhea, and difficulty in defecation, and the symptoms are difficult to relieve on their own.
3. Blood in the stool
The friction between the feces and the tumor surface causes the mucosa to rupture and bleed. If the amount of bleeding is small, it cannot be detected by the naked eye, and a fecal occult blood test is required. When there is a lot of bleeding, blood on the surface of the stool can be seen, and it may also be accompanied by mucus or pus, which needs to be distinguished from hemorrhoids.
4. Abdominal mass
When rectal cancer develops to the middle and late stages, about 60%-70% of patients can feel a hard mass in the abdomen.
5. Long-term anemia
As the course of the disease progresses, patients will develop symptoms of anemia of varying degrees, which may be accompanied by chronic wasting symptoms such as weight loss, fever, and fatigue.
3. Stay away from colon cancer, please correct 3 habits
A study published in "Gastroenterology" found that 56.5% of rectal cancers in China are related to unhealthy lifestyles. If you want to stay away from rectal cancer, you must get rid of these bad habits.
Habit 1: Smoking, drinking
Smoking increases the risk of rectal cancer by 1.27 times, and the more you smoke, the higher the risk. Tobacco burning can produce carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can damage the DNA of colon epithelial cells and cause genetic mutations. Alcohol can directly damage the mucosa of the digestive tract, and its metabolite acetaldehyde can also directly damage cellular DNA and induce gene mutations.
Habit 2: Excessive intake of red and processed meat
Several studies have found that long-term excessive intake of red and processed meat increases the risk of rectal cancer. In addition, meat-loving people consume relatively less fruits and vegetables, thus lacking dietary fiber and increasing the risk of intestinal tumors.
According to the recommendation of the Chinese Nutrition Society, the daily meat intake of healthy adults should be controlled at 120-150 grams, including 40-75 grams of livestock and poultry meat, 40-75 grams of aquatic products, and lean meat as far as possible.
Habit 3: Sedentary
According to WHO, sedentary behavior in adults increases the risk of bowel cancer. Sitting for a long time can weaken intestinal peristalsis, increase the retention time of metabolic wastes and harmful components, and cause irritation to the intestinal mucosa.
It is recommended to reduce sedentary times and do simple physical activity every 1 hour. At the same time, keep exercising, doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week, or 75 minutes of higher-intensity aerobic exercise.
Today, many cancers are not terminal diseases, but we still need to do a good job of prevention and early detection in order to improve the survival rate. The easiest way to prevent rectal cancer is to develop healthy habits. How much can you do?
References:
[1] Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment Group of Oncology Branch of Chinese Medical Association. Expert consensus on early diagnosis and early treatment of colorectal cancer in China [J]. Chinese Medical Journal 2020, Vol. 100, Issue 22, pp. 1691-1698
[2] The latest research! Research results of more than 27,000 people in China: smoking, high intake of red meat, etc. "contribute" the most to gastrointestinal cancer, Yangcheng Evening News, 2021-08-29
[3] Sitting for a long time can also cause colon cancer? WHO points out the latest content..., Medical Oncology Channel, 2022-04-20
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