What is rectal cancer

• Change in bowel habits—including how often you poop, what your poop looks like, and if you have • Diarrhea, constipation, or feeling like you can’t get all your poop out • • Poop that looks narrower or thinner than usual • Abdominal pain or discomfort—gas pains, bloating, fullness, and abdominal cramps • Losing weight without reason • Constant tiredness, exhaustion, fatigue • Unexplained • Tests to look for blood in your stool might include a • Blood tests often include a • Tests that let the healthcare provider see the colon and rectum and take samples (a biopsy) if needed may include a • Molecular tests of the biopsied tissue include testing for changes in the KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF genes, the HER2 protein, or NTRK genes. They may also test for microsatellite instability or mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2). EPCAM, another gene related to MSH2, is also routinely checked. • Imaging tests look inside your body to check for and monitor cancer growth. These include a • External-beam radiation therapy sends a beam of X-rays to the cancer. • Stereotactic radiation therapy is used when colorectal cancer has spread to the liver or lungs. It sends a large, precise beam of X-rays to a small area. • Intraoperative radiation therapy is a single, high dose of X-rays given during surgery. • Brachytherapy is radiation inserted into the body as "seeds" in the liver to treat colorectal cancer that has spread there. • Drugs that stop the body from making new blood v...

Medically Reviewed By: Cancers of the colon and rectum are often lumped together as “ What is the difference between the colon and the rectum? The colon, or large intestine, is about five feet long and is encased in a relatively rigid tissue or “wrapper,” says The rectum, which is the last six inches or so of the colon leading to the anus, is more flexible and isn’t reinforced by any outer layer. This allow the rectum to expand and contract within the pelvis to allow for the storage of stool before it is eliminated. What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer? Colon and rectal cancer often don’t cause symptoms in their earliest stages but symptoms that might indicate cancer include: • A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts more than a few days. • A feeling of needing to have a bowel movement that isn’t relieved by having one. • Rectal bleeding with bright red blood. • Blood in the stool that may appear dark brown or black. • Cramping or abdominal pain that doesn’t improve. • Unintended weight loss. Catching colon and rectal cancers early is of paramount importance for a good outcome, say specialists. They can be diagnosed during a screening The main warning sign of rectal cancer, Schlechter says, is a change in bowel habits — such as a persistent pattern of constipation, bloating or diarrhea. “You should have the same bowel habits over your entire life. If things change suddenly, or over a few months, that’s abnormal....

Treatment for rectal cancer is based mainly on the People with rectal cancers that have not spread to distant sites are usually treated with Treating stage 0 rectal cancer Stage 0 rectal cancers have not grown beyond the inner lining of the rectum. Removing or destroying the cancer is typically all that's needed. You can usually be treated with surgery such as a polypectomy (removing the polyp), local excision, or transanal resection. In rare cases, a more extensive surgery might be needed. Treating stage I rectal cancer Stage I rectal cancers have grown into deeper layers of the rectal wall but have not spread outside the rectum itself. This stage includes cancers that were part of a polyp. If the polyp is removed completely during colonoscopy, with no cancer in the edges, no other treatment may be needed. If the cancer in the polyp was high grade (see For other stage I cancers, surgery is usually the main treatment. Some small stage I cancers can be removed through the anus without cutting the abdomen (belly), using transanal resection or transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). For other cancers, a low anterior resection (LAR), proctectomy with colo-anal anastomosis, or an abdominoperineal resection (APR) may be done, depending on exactly where the cancer is located within the rectum. Additional treatment typically isn't needed after these operations, unless the surgeon finds the cancer is more advanced than was thought before surgery. If it is more advanced, a combinat...

Diagnosis Tests and procedures used to diagnose anal cancer include: • Examining your anal canal and rectum for abnormalities. During a digital rectal exam, your doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum. He or she feels for anything unusual, such as growths. • Visually inspecting your anal canal and rectum. Your doctor may use a short, lighted tube (anoscope) to inspect your anal canal and rectum for anything unusual. • Taking sound wave pictures (ultrasound) of your anal canal. To create a picture of your anal canal, your doctor inserts a probe, similar to a thick thermometer, into your anal canal and rectum. The probe emits high-energy sound waves, called ultrasound waves, which bounce off tissues and organs in your body to create a picture. Your doctor evaluates the picture to look for anything abnormal. • Removing a sample of tissue for laboratory testing. If your doctor discovers any unusual areas, he or she may take small samples of affected tissue (biopsy) and send the samples to a laboratory for analysis. By looking at the cells under a microscope, doctors can determine whether the cells are cancerous. Determining the extent of the cancer Once it's confirmed that you have anal cancer, your doctor may recommend additional tests to determine whether your cancer has spread to your lymph nodes or to other areas of your body. Tests may include: • Computerized tomography (CT) • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) • Positron emission tomography (PET) Your ...

Rectal cancer is cancer that develops in cells in the rectum, which is below the sigmoid colon and above the anus. Your rectum and colon are both part of the digestive system, so rectal and colon cancers are often grouped under the term colorectal cancer. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the The At first, rectal cancer may be asymptomatic. As the cancer progresses, rectal bleeding is the According to the • rectal bleeding • changes in how often you have bowel movements • feeling that your bowel isn’t emptying completely • pain when you have a bowel movement • • • unintentional weight loss and appetite changes • unexplained fatigue • frequent abdominal discomfort, gas, cramps, pain Another While the exact cause of rectal cancer There are some Another genetic condition that may cause rectal cancer is familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). This is a rare disorder that can cause polyps to grow in the lining of the colon and rectum. While these polyps start off as noncancerous, they may become malignant. In fact, most people with FAP develop cancer before the age of Like other types of cancers, rectal cancer can spread when cancerous cells grow in healthy tissue and travel to other areas of the body. At first, rectal cancer may affect the tissues lining the rectum. In some cases, it affects the entire rectum. The cancer may then spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs, with the liver being commonly affected. Other possible areas of metastasis can include the: • abdomen ...