Colorectal cancer has precancerous disease and develops slowly into advanced cancer, but it is often asymptomatic in the early stage
Colorectal cancer is a relatively common cancer, which seriously harms people's health. Normally its initial symptoms are not easy to be found, and when found it might be at the late stage. What are the early symptoms of colorectal cancer? How to detect and prevent colorectal cancer at early stage?
Ⅰ、Groups of people that might be easy to get colorectal cancer
1、Age>50
The incidence increases significantly from age 50, peaks at age 75 – 80, and then decreases slowly. But colorectal cancer is not rare in youth under 30.
2、Patients with family history
There is a certain genetic tendency, if family members have suffered from colorectal cancer, they should pay more attention to intestinal health and have timely examination.
3、People with habit of dietary bias
People, long-term eating high fat, low fiber, low calcium and high phosphorus foods, which are the dangerous factors to the colon cancer, can urge colorectal cells in a state of extreme hyperplasia, leading to the formation of adenomatous polyps, and eventually lead to malignant tumor.
4、People lack of exercise
People lack of exercise for long might be easy to let the colorectal inflammation get worse, increasing the risk of colorectal cancer.
Ⅱ、What are the early symptoms?
It is often asymptomatic in the early stage, symptoms will appear when cancer gets big and complications occurs.
1、Bowel habits changes
Bowel habits change is the earliest symptoms, such as increased times of defecation, diarrhea, constipation, mucus stool, blood stool or pus blood stool, tenesmus (performance as anal swelling, frequent but not smooth defecation), and fine stool.
2. Abdominal pain
Due to the cancer erosion, secondary infection stimulates the intestine, manifested by persistent abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort or abdominal distension. Because the lesion will strengthen the gastric colonic reflex, postprandial abdominal pain will occur.
3、Abdominal mass
The abdominal mass will more commonly appear in the right abdomen, with hard and nodular.
4、Complications
Liver and lung metastasis and lymph node metastasis are the symptoms of advanced colorectal cancer. When these symptoms appear, it indicates that the tumor has begun to enter the advanced stages.
Ⅲ、How to screen?
Colon cancer usually has a significant premalignant disease, and takes relatively long time to develop to advanced cancer, this provides an opportunity for effective prevention.
Proceed screening and early detection of lesions in high-risk groups. Screen out the high-risk patients through questionnaire survey, and do fecal occult blood test for further examination, including rectal touch, sigmoidoscopy and full colonoscopy. Although the fecal occult blood test is not specific for the diagnosis, but the method is simple and easy, and can be used as a clue for general screening or early diagnosis. It is recommended that people aged over 40 years have a fecal occult blood test for screening every year.
Ⅵ、How to prevent?
1、Balanced diet
It is recommended to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, eat less meat, fat and salty foods, maintain a balanced diet, and increase the intake of dietary fiber.
2、Regular exercise
Exercise can relieve pressure, reduce blood pressure, promote the healthy metabolism in the body, and has a good preventive effect.
3、Healthy living habits
Smoking and drinking alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, so please quit them to keep you healthy.
In conclusion, the colorectal cancer seldom has obvious symptoms in the early stage, but it needs special attention to the middle-aged and elderly groups. It is recommended that people over 40 years old go to have screened for colorectal cancer every year, pay attention to daily habits such as diet and exercise, try the best in prevention. If suspected, please go to the hospital for treatment in time to maximize the cure rate and survival rate.
