What are the early symptoms of rectal cancer?

Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
Updated on December 08, 2024
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Early symptoms of rectal cancer include a foreign body sensation in the anus, bloody stools, changes in stool shape, and more. Rectal cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor of the digestive tract in China, originating from the rectal mucosa. The most common pathological type is adenocarcinoma, with other pathological types being relatively rare. Patients exhibiting bloody stools or changes in stool shape should consider the possibility of rectal cancer. Patients suspected of having rectal cancer should undergo a rectal examination and colonoscopy as soon as possible. Abnormal masses in the rectum can be detected during the rectal examination and colonoscopy. Tissue can be taken from the mass for pathological diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with rectal cancer via pathology are primarily treated with surgery, and those who cannot undergo surgery should receive combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.

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Rectal cancer stage III

Rectal cancer staging is based on the TNM system. "T" refers to the primary tumor, and its stage depends on which layer of the bowel wall the tumor has invaded. "N" is based on whether there are lymph node metastases and the number of lymph nodes involved. "M" indicates whether there are metastases to distant organs. Staging is determined according to the TNM situation, where Stage I is the earliest and Stage IV is the latest. Stage III indicates lymph node metastasis without distant organ metastases, such as to the liver or lungs. In such cases, irrespective of whether T is T1 to T4, if there is lymph node involvement without distant organ metastasis, it is staged as Stage III.

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What is good to eat after rectal cancer surgery?

Patients who have undergone surgery for rectal cancer should pay attention to the following points regarding their diet: First, consume a moderate amount of foods containing monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil and tuna. Second, avoid overheating animal products and vegetable oils during cooking. Third, eat more foods rich in dietary fiber, such as konjac, soy and its products, fresh vegetables and fruits, and algae. Fourth, intake vitamins and trace elements by eating fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement carotene and vitamin C, and consume appropriate amounts of walnuts, peanut milk, products, and seafood to supplement vitamin E. Pay attention to the intake of foods rich in the trace element selenium, such as malt, fish, and mushrooms.

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Stage II colorectal cancer

Rectal cancer staging is based on the TNM system. "T" refers to the primary tumor, "N" indicates whether there are lymph node metastases, and "M" indicates the presence of distant metastases. Staging is determined according to these factors. Stage II generally refers to patients with T3, N0, M0, or T4, N0, M0. What does this mean? T3 indicates that the tumor has penetrated the base layer reaching the subserosal layer, or has invaded the tissues adjacent to parts of the colon or rectum that are not covered by peritoneum, which is described as T3. T4 means that the tumor has invaded through the entire bowel wall, perforated the visceral peritoneum, and involved other organs or structures, which is called T4. N0, M0 means there are no lymph node metastases and no distant metastases, such as to the liver or lungs. Such patients are clinically staged as stage II rectal cancer.

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What are the symptoms and early signs of rectal cancer?

In the early stages of rectal cancer, there are no obvious symptoms. Only when the condition progresses to a certain extent do some clinical symptoms appear. The first is a change in bowel habits or the nature of the stool. The second possible symptom is abdominal pain. The third possible outcome is intestinal obstruction. The fourth symptom occurs when the tumor develops to a certain extent, and lumps can be felt in the abdomen. The fifth point includes possible symptoms of systemic poisoning such as anemia, weight loss, fever, and weakness. The sixth point is that in the advanced stages of rectal cancer, some metastatic lesions may appear, such as extensive pelvic metastasis and infiltration, leading to pain in the sacral area and sciatic neuralgia; if areas like the vaginal, rectal mucosa, or bladder mucosa are involved, there may be vaginal bleeding or blood in the urine, resulting in conditions like rectovaginal or rectovesical fistulas.

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What are the late-stage symptoms of rectal cancer?

The late-stage symptoms of rectal cancer patients in clinical practice mainly include the following types. The first type is abdominal symptoms caused locally by rectal cancer. For example: bloody stools, pass stools with mucous and pus, anal pain, bloating, abdominal pain, and other manifestations. The second category of symptoms is those from metastases in various locations. For example, bone metastases cause bone pain and limb movement disorders. Lung metastases cause chest tightness, shortness of breath after activity, chest pain, breathing difficulties, coughing and coughing up blood, etc. Brain metastases cause headaches, dizziness, and seizures. The third category of symptoms is mainly systemic symptoms caused by rectal cancer lesions, such as: weight loss, fatigue, and high fever.