55-year-old Brother Zhang has been suffering from stomachaches and diarrhea recently. He thought it was because he had eaten something bad, so he didn't care. After eating a barbecue a few days ago, he felt unbearable abdominal pain. He quickly called his family, who sent him to the hospital. After examination, it turned out to be late-stage rectal cancer. He had always been fine and was confused, why was it so serious?
The doctor inquired about the medical history and learned that Brother Zhang loves barbecue and fried food, and goes out to eat with friends every day after get off work. Brother Zhang's illness is probably related to these factors.
But some friends may be confused, Are all rectal cancers caused by "eating"?
1. Is rectal cancer actually caused by eating?
Although many countries around the world have done a lot of research on the cause of rectal cancer, it has not yet been fully elucidated. Modern biology , genetics and epidemiology show that the incidence of rectal disease is mainly closely related to environmental factors, lifestyle and genetic factors, and is the result of the interaction of multiple factors.
First, dietary structure, which is the most obvious environmental factor that has the most obvious impact on the occurrence of colorectal cancer.
High-fat, high-protein foods , especially foods that have been fried, fried, smoked, or baked, are obvious risk factors for colorectal cancer. Because the food our body eats will eventually stay in the gastrointestinal area of the body, so toxins can easily accumulate in the intestines, leading to the emergence of cancer-causing factors.
In addition, drinking pond water and other superficial water sources that are easily contaminated by various environmental carcinogens are also considered to be risk factors for colorectal cancer.
The second factor is inflammation, because intestinal flora are extremely rich. These flora have the effect of regulating the body's immune function . Once the balance is imbalanced, it will also cause intestinal inflammation. Severe inflammation will gradually transform into cancer over time. Chronic inflammation of the intestine is one of the risk factors for colorectal cancer. If extensive ulcerative colitis persists for 10 years and does not heal, the chance of developing cancer is 2.6 times higher than that of the average person. If ulcerative colitis with atypical hyperplasia of the epidermal mucosa occurs, the chance of cancer development is about 50%.
The third is genetic factors . Rectal cancer is a type of malignant tumor with a prominent genetic background. 10% to 15% of colorectal cancer patients are hereditary colorectal tumors . It is an autosomal dominant genetic disease. Common ones include familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis rectal cancer.
The fourth is life factors, including excessive drinking, smoking, lack of exercise, etc. A study shows that ethanol intake is directly proportional to the incidence of colorectal cancer. If the average daily alcohol consumption exceeds 75 grams, the risk of colorectal cancer will increase by 7% for every 10 grams of increase. A small drink is pleasant, but a heavy drink is harmful to the body.
In addition, the radioactive substances ingested during tobacco cultivation will destroy the genes of normal cells in the human body during the combustion process, especially the damage to DNA in cells with oncogenes. At the same time, smoking can also cause damage to the human body's immune function, resulting in a reduction in the body's ability to clear cancer cells, thus promoting gene mutation and carcinogenesis.
According to data, the impact of smoking on the risk of colorectal cancer shows a dose-response relationship. For every 10 cigarettes/day increase in smoking, the risk of colorectal cancer increases by 7.8%. Therefore, for good health, it is essential to quit smoking and drinking!
2. Most rectal cancers are caused by “drag”? If the body has these three conditions, check it out as soon as possible. According to clinical experience, it has been found that when rectal cancer is not discovered in the early stage, there are no abnormal symptoms, but sometimes there will be a small amount of blood in the stool, which results in many patients not paying attention. Next, I will introduce to you the main symptoms and other symptoms that usually occur with rectal cancer. If you find the following symptoms, you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time.
(1) Blood in the stool. In the early stages of rectal cancer, blood in the stool will mostly occur. The main manifestation is that the blood is dark red. This is intestinal ulceration caused by necrosis caused by tumors staying in the body for too long. However, in the early stages, there is rarely a large amount of blood in the stool, and mucus is usually discharged during defecation. If you feel pain or discomfort during defecation, you should observe the shape of the stool in time and make observations at an early stage.
Normal stool is yellow-brown or golden, like a banana or cylindrical. If it appears dark red and soft, you should be more vigilant.
(2) Changes in stool form. The stool will become progressively thinner at the beginning. This is because when the intestinal tube is partially obstructed, the patient will experience abdominal distension, abdominal pain and other manifestations of incomplete intestinal obstruction . As the tumor continues to grow, the volume in the rectal cavity will gradually become smaller , leaving only a very narrow gap, preventing the passage of stool, the shape of the stool will change under squeezing , and as the tumor continues to grow, the stool will gradually become thinner, and earthworm-like stool may occur. Pay attention to this!
(3) Frequent bowel movements. Due to tumors in the intestine, will cause the patient's intestinal dysfunction, increased bowel movements, and irregular bowel movements. The frequency of defecation mentioned here also varies from person to person. Generally, people have 1-3 times a day. If you have been defecating frequently, don’t worry too much. What you need to pay attention to is the sudden increase in the number of defecation at a certain stage.
(4) other symptoms. Weight loss and weight loss: Weight loss and weight loss are common symptoms associated with rectal cancer. Long-term abdominal distension and abdominal pain affect the digestion and absorption function, which may cause malnutrition, leading to significant weight loss and severe weight loss in patients. In addition, there are symptoms of local infiltration of tumors: can cause anal incontinence, persistent pain in the lower abdomen and lumbosacral region, and may invade the prostate and bladder, causing patients to experience hematuria, frequent urination, urinary urgency and other symptoms.
3. Rectal cancer and hemorrhoids, the symptoms are so similar, how to distinguish them?
When mentioning rectal cancer, some friends may think of hemorrhoids. Both rectal cancer and hemorrhoids will have blood, pain, and mucus during defecation. The symptoms of the two are somewhat similar, so how should we distinguish them?
First of all, the causes of the disease are different and the pain is different. Rectal cancer and hemorrhoids are both digestive tract diseases. Their symptoms are somewhat similar, but their causes are completely different. Hemorrhoids can also cause bleeding in the stool, but this is caused by the dilation of blood vessels during defecation and blood dripping on the stool. There is usually obvious pain in the anus.
The blood of rectal cancer, , comes from fragile and soft cancer tissue. The blood will adhere to the feces and be excreted from the body. The color of the blood is generally darker, and you will feel obvious discomfort after defecation.
Secondly, the onset time is different. In recent years, the age of onset of rectal cancer in my country has been significantly earlier , and the median age of onset of domestic patients is about 45 years old.. Hemorrhoids have a wide range of symptoms and can occur in young people, middle-aged people and the elderly. Therefore, generally young people should not worry too much if they have blood in their stools. Bleeding in their stools should first be checked to see if it is a hemorrhoid problem.
Finally, we have to look at the shape of the stool. Hemorrhoids and rectal cancer have different pathological causes. Hemorrhoids are caused by obstruction of the distal venous return of the anus. They will not change the shape of the stool, let alone cause problems such as softness or hardness of the stool. However, rectal cancer is different and will directly change the shape of the stool. You can also pay attention to smell the stool after defecation. The smell of hemorrhoids is similar to that of normal stool, but rectal cancer is different, with a strong smell accompanied by a fishy and rancid smell.
4. Want to prevent rectal cancer? The doctor gives you 5 suggestions
Rectal cancer is a disease, so there must be a way to prevent it. The prevention effect of rectal cancer can be achieved by controlling the source of the disease.
First, physical examination. If you are around the age of 45, then annual health screening is particularly critical. If you are outside this age, it does not mean that you are not at risk of rectal cancer. Don't take chances and think that you are unlikely to develop rectal cancer if you think that you have a healthy diet, a good lifestyle, and no family history of rectal cancer. You also need to undergo a health screening once a year.
Because rectal cancer has no obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage, and surgical treatment of early stage rectal cancer has the best effect during treatment, therefore early detection and early treatment are the key to ensuring the treatment effect, and avoiding mistaking it for routine constipation, hemorrhoids and other diseases that delay the condition.
The second is to ensure a healthy diet. Among the many factors that cause rectal cancer, diet is one of the most closely related factors.. Many people believe that the abundance of meat in daily life is a symbol of improved living standards. However, excessive meat consumption not only increases the pressure on the gastrointestinal tract, but also excessive calorie intake is an important hidden danger of rectal cancer.
Therefore, in the daily diet, the intake of dietary fiber should be increased, including corn, bamboo shoots, pumpkin, etc., and yogurt can be consumed appropriately to improve intestinal flora and reduce intestinal pressure. In terms of staple food, you can increase the intake of whole grains such as beans and millet, which not only increases the body's nutritional indicators, but also reduces intestinal pressure. In terms of meat, it does not mean that meat intake is completely prohibited. It is just that in the choice of meat, avoid red meat and processed meat to reduce the level of calorie intake.
The third is to enhance physical exercise. Abdominal fat accumulation is an important factor in causing rectal cancer. In order to avoid excessive fat in the abdomen or reduce abdominal fat content, you should avoid sitting for long periods of time, increase physical exercise, and regularize exercise intensity and exercise time. For example, 30 minutes of morning jogging, night running, aerobic exercise, etc. every day can consume fat and increase body vitality. Appropriate exercise is conducive to stimulating large intestine peristalsis and promoting defecation.
The fourth is to put an end to bad habits in life. For example: Keep the stool smooth and develop a good habit of regular defecation. Usually after breakfast is the time of day when the urge to defecate is strongest, the defecation time can be gradually fixed. If there is no defecation in the morning, it can be adjusted to after dinner.
Fifth, appropriate exposure to the sun is also helpful in preventing rectal cancer. This was discovered through a survey in the United States, because vitamin D has a preventive effect on intestinal cancer. Therefore, office workers who work indoors for a long time should take some time to bask in the sun every day.
At this point in the article, there is no need to panic. One of the reasons why the treatment effect of rectal cancer is not ideal is that it is discovered late. If discovered early, the 5-year survival rate of rectal cancer can reach more than 90%.
But 30% of patients already have metastatic lesions when they first see a doctor. High-risk groups with chronic enteritis, a history of rectal cancer, and long-term drinking and unhealthy eating are best to have a bowel examination every 5 years.
80% of rectal cancers are caused by the worsening of polyps. Once intestinal polyps are found, you need to be more vigilant. Because it takes at least three years for polyps to turn into cancer. If treated early during this process, the risk of rectal cancer can be greatly reduced!
In short, pay attention to your physical condition in time. If you have the above symptoms such as blood in the stool, frequent bowel movements, deformed stools, etc., you should pay more attention . At the same time, maintain healthy living and eating habits, a positive attitude towards life, early detection and early treatment of precancerous diseases, and rectal cancer will definitely be far away from you!
