Differential diagnosis method for colorectal cancer

The occurrence of serious malignant tumors such as colorectal cancer has caused our patients great pain and suffering. Once such a disease occurs, we cannot ignore it. We must diagnose the disease in time and provide timely treatment. This is the key to alleviating and curing the disease. Let us learn about the differential diagnosis methods of colorectal cancer.

1. Medical history

A detailed medical history can often reveal the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. For those who are middle-aged or older and have unexplained weight loss, anemia, changes in bowel habits, mucus in stool, blood in stool, intestinal obstruction, etc., the possibility of colorectal cancer should be considered. In order to detect colorectal cancer early, some people who have no obvious symptoms but have risk factors for colorectal cancer, such as those with a family history of colorectal cancer, those who have suffered from multiple polyposis of the colon, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, chronic schistosomiasis, or those who have received pelvic radiotherapy or cholecystectomy, should be followed up and reexamined regularly.

2. Physical Examination

A comprehensive physical examination not only helps to correctly diagnose colorectal cancer, but also estimates the severity of the disease, the invasion and metastasis of cancer, and serves as a reference for formulating a reasonable treatment plan. Local signs should pay special attention to intestinal obstruction, abdominal mass, and abdominal tenderness. Since the vast majority of colorectal cancers occur in the rectum and sigmoid colon, a digital rectal examination should be essential. Whenever a patient has symptoms such as blood in the stool, changes in bowel habits, and deformed stools, a digital rectal examination should be performed. During the examination, find out whether the anus or rectum is narrowed, whether the finger cuff is stained with blood, and if a mass is touched, its location, shape, range of lesions, activity of the base, and its relationship with adjacent organs should be clarified.

3. Laboratory examination

Blood routine, complete biochemistry (liver and kidney function + serum iron), stool routine + fecal occult blood and other laboratory tests can help understand whether the patient has iron deficiency anemia, liver and kidney function and other basic conditions. Testing for blood tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) can help diagnose tumors. In patients with colorectal cancer, high CEA levels do not mean that there is distant metastasis; in a few patients with metastatic tumors, CEA levels are not elevated.

IV. Endoscopic examination

Colonoscopy is to insert a fiber colonoscope into the ileocecal region at the beginning of the colon to examine the colon and rectal cavities, and perform biopsies and treatments during the examination. Colonoscopy is more accurate than barium enema X-rays, especially for small colon polyps, which can be removed by colonoscopy and confirmed by pathology. Removal of benign polyps can prevent them from turning into colorectal cancer, and cancerous polyps can help clarify the diagnosis and treatment.

After reading the above introduction, we have already understood the diagnostic and differential methods of colorectal cancer. We hope that understanding the direct diagnostic and differential methods of colorectal cancer can help our patients diagnose the disease in time and receive timely treatment when they suffer from this disease. Do not delay the treatment. It is crucial to stay away from colorectal cancer as early as possible.