Rectal cancer

Colorectal cancer might not cause symptoms right away, but if it does, it may cause one or more of these symptoms: • A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days • A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one • Rectal bleeding with bright red blood • Blood in the stool, which might make the stool look dark brown or black • Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain • Weakness and fatigue • Unintended weight loss Colorectal cancers can often bleed into the digestive tract. Sometimes the blood can be seen in the stool or make it look darker, but often the stool looks normal. But over time, the blood loss can build up and can lead to low red blood cell counts (anemia). Sometimes the first sign of colorectal cancer is a blood test showing a low red blood cell count. Some people may have signs that the cancer has spread to the liver with a large liver felt on exam, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), or trouble breathing from cancer spread to the lungs. Many of these symptoms can be caused by conditions other than colorectal cancer, such as infection, hemorrhoids, or irritable bowel syndrome. Still, if you have any of these problems, it’s important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed. See National Cancer Institute. Physician Data Query (PDQ). Colon Cancer Treatment. 2020. Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/types...

[Originally published: Jan. 29, 2020. Updated: March 2, 2023] Nobody in their 20s, 30s or 40s gets colorectal cancer, right? Wrong. The truth is that colorectal cancer is on the rise in young adults and has been for years. That’s why Yale Medicine surgeons who treat it are urging people younger than 45—even college students—to talk to their doctors about any suspicious symptoms, such as constipation, rectal bleeding, or sudden changes in bowel movements. In early 2023, the “We are seeing a clear uptick in colorectal cancer in younger generations,” says At the same time, while colorectal cancer is still most frequently diagnosed in people over 65, incidence in that group is declining, and older people are less likely than people younger than 50 to be diagnosed with advanced disease. If anyone has any change in their bowel habits, if they have any bleeding—even if they think it’s a hemorrhoid, and it doesn’t go away—just get a colonoscopy. Vikram Reddy, MD, PHD, colorectal surgeon Even though colorectal cancer is often highly treatable, the diagnosis can be a major ordeal for Generation Zers, Millennials, and Generation Xers, who range in age from their mid-20s to their late 50s. It can interrupt careers and damage personal finances. Young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer may need to make quick, critical decisions about such matters as preserving sperm or eggs in case treatment impacts their fertility. About 15 years ago, Yale Medicine surgeon Dr. Reddy and his collea...

Abdominal Pain or Cramping The most common presenting symptom of colorectal cancer is abdominal pain; however, it's very vague and non-specific. There are many reasons why a person may have abdominal pain or cramping, and much of the time the reason is not cancer. This is why it may not be worrisome at first. If you are passing liquid stool and feel like you need to expel more waste, but can't, urgent medical care is needed. Anemia Microscopic bleeding due to rectal cancer often causes anemia. Anemia, in turn, can cause fatigue (commonly the first symptom people note) or weakness. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, and an irregular heartbeat. At-home colorectal cancer screening tests are available. They require you to collect a stool sample and send it to a lab for analysis. These include a fecal immunochemical test and a guaiac-based fecal occult blood test, both of which look for blood in stool, and a stool DNA test, which looks for specific DNA markers. • American Cancer Society. • National Cancer Institute. • Colon Cancer Coalition. • Rodriguez-Bigas M, Lin EH, Crane CH, National Library of Medicine. • Fazeli MS, Keramati MR. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2015;29:171. • UptoDate. • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. • Bosch X, Monclús E, Escoda O, et al. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(4):e0175125. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175125 • American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. • Siegel R, Miller K, Jemal A. JAMA. 2017;318(6):572-574. doi:10.1001/ja...

Colon cancer develops from polyps (growths) in your colon’s inner lining. Healthcare providers have screening tests and treatments that detect and remove precancerous polyps. If untreated, colon cancer may spread to other areas of your body. Thanks to these tests, early treatment and new kinds of treatment, fewer people are dying from colon cancer. Overview Colon cancer starts as polyps in your colon. It can start in any part of your colon. What is colon cancer? Colon (colorectal) cancer starts in your colon (large intestine), the long tube that helps carry digested food to your rectum and out of your body. Colon cancer develops from How does this condition affect people? Your colon wall is made of layers of mucous membrane, tissue and muscle. Colon cancer starts in your Over time, colon polyps may become cancerous. (It usually takes about 10 years for cancer to form in a colon polyp.) Left undetected and/or untreated, the cancer works its way through a layer of tissue, muscle and the outer layer of your colon. The colon cancer may also spread to other parts of your body via your Who is affected by colon cancer? Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in people in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) are slightly more likely to develop colon cancer than women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Colon cancer affects more people who are Black than people who are me...

Before developing an individualized plan for rectal cancer treatment, your health care team will determine the extent of the disease using a variety of tests, which may include This evaluation is an important step in helping the team design the best and most effective treatment regimen. From these studies, we will be able to clinically stage your tumor. Treatment plans are then based upon the clinical stage of your tumor. These plans may include a single therapy or a combination of therapies. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. For the most part, treatment for rectal cancer depends on the stage of the tumor—specifically the size and location of the tumor in the rectum as well as the degree of metastasis (how far the tumor may have spread). Learn about treatment options for each of the following cancer stages: • • • • • In addition, biofeedback training in our cancer rehabilitation program may benefit rectal cancer patients before and after treatment. Stage 0 Rectal Cancer Treatment Rectal cancer that is confined to the inner lining of the rectum can typically be removed with minimally invasive surgery. Additional therapies are not usually needed. Stage I Rectal Cancer Treatment Stage I rectal cancer involves tumors that have grown into the wall of the rectum but are still localized (have not spread beyond the rectum). Most stage I rectal tumors are treated with surgery. When the location of the tumor allows for it, surgeons will try to av...