Is rectal cancer hereditary?

Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
Updated on December 29, 2024
00:00
00:00

This answer is also possible, as one of the causes of any cancer includes the possibility of genetics. However, this possibility is generally small and not everyone is likely to have it. It also depends on the incidence of disease within the entire family. If one is in a high-risk category due to certain genetic factors, then it is crucial to have regular and thorough follow-up checks. Some people might even try treatments specifically targeting genetically inherited colorectal cancer.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
53sec home-news-image

Stage IV rectal cancer

In the staging of rectal cancer, we generally use the TNM staging system clinically. "T" refers to the primary tumor, "N" indicates whether there is lymph node metastasis, and staging is based on the status of the lymph nodes. "M" indicates whether there is distant metastasis. Stage IV refers to any stage of "T" and any stage of "N", as long as there is distant metastasis, such as rectal cancer metastasizing to the liver, lungs, or bones. When these distant organ metastases occur, the staging is M1, any "T", any "N", M1. This scenario is stage IV, indicating the presence of distant organ metastasis and represents advanced stage rectal cancer patients.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
40sec home-news-image

Can rectal cancer be detected by ultrasound B?

Can rectal ultrasound detect it? When we perform an abdominal ultrasound for the digestive system, we might see a potential mass in the abdomen, but its specific nature cannot be clearly identified. Therefore, the definitive diagnosis of rectal cancer still relies on biopsy and pathological examination. Thus, it is recommended to go to the hospital and consult a professional oncologist for tests, such as undergoing an endoscopic biopsy or having a surgical procedure to remove and then analyze the pathology to confirm whether it is rectal cancer or not.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
1min 13sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of rectal cancer

The early symptoms of rectal cancer generally include the following aspects: many patients experience changes in their bowel habits, such as prolonged diarrhea, prolonged constipation, or alternating occurrences of diarrhea and constipation. Some patients also experience changes in the characteristics of their stools, with stools becoming thinner and more watery due to increased bowel movements. Additionally, some patients may excrete stools mixed with mucus, pus, and blood, or stools that contain blood, and may experience a feeling of urgency followed by a sensation of incomplete evacuation. Some patients also feel itching or a dull pain in the anal area. Moreover, the early symptoms of rectal cancer are not very prominent, and many patients can easily confuse them with benign rectal diseases such as hemorrhoids and anal fissures. This confusion leads many patients not to seek medical attention, and by the time symptoms like significant pain and lumps appear, the disease is typically in its intermediate or advanced stages.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
56sec home-news-image

Difference between hemorrhoids bleeding and rectal cancer bleeding

The difference between bleeding from hemorrhoids and rectal cancer is distinct. For hemorrhoids, bleeding is mostly painless and intermittent, primarily manifesting as bright red blood either dripping or spraying into the toilet bowl. Patients may even experience significant blood loss, potentially leading to shock. On the other hand, bleeding from rectal cancer usually involves blood mixed with stool and generally does not involve large volumes. Most patients present with dark-edged stool. Anemia is often detected during routine blood tests, which leads to further investigation with a colonoscopy that may reveal rectal cancer. Therefore, the bleeding characteristics of the two conditions are different. In cases where rectal cancer is suspected, proactive endoscopic examinations are recommended to confirm the diagnosis through tissue pathology, followed by aggressive surgical treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
43sec home-news-image

Can a colonoscopy detect colon and rectal cancer?

Colonoscopy can detect colon and rectal cancers. By conducting a colonoscopy, it can be determined whether a space-occupying lesion is in the colon or the rectum. In the workplace, it can also confirm the distance from the anus in centimeters, to guide the next steps of surgical treatment. If a colon or rectal tumor is found during colonoscopy, a pathological biopsy may be needed. Combined with the pathological biopsy, a diagnosis can be made whether the patient has colon cancer or rectal cancer. At the same time, colonoscopy can also detect other diseases, such as colon polyps, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease of the colon, and so on.