The simplest and most effective method to check for colorectal cancer

The occurrence of colorectal cancer brings a devastating blow to the human intestinal system. This disease is easily confused with many similar diseases, so many patients find it difficult to detect its existence, which gives the disease room to develop. It is necessary to conduct examinations through professional means to discover all hidden dangers in the body.

1. Physical examination

After colorectal cancer surgery, in order to further understand the treatment of the patient's disease, a comprehensive physical examination is necessary. This is an effective guarantee and indispensable. A comprehensive physical examination includes examination of the axillary, supraclavicular and cervical lymph nodes, and the abdominal examination mainly of the liver and spleen to see if there is an abdominal mass. Digital rectal examination can promptly detect recurrences in the rectum or pelvis. These physical examination results have a certain reference value for treatment.

2. PET-CT examination

This examination method is very common and one of the essential examination items during the follow-up after colorectal cancer surgery. It is also the most suitable examination for colorectal cancer patients after surgery. PET-CT examination can detect very early recurrence, and only one examination is needed for systemic recurrence and metastasis. Normally, PET-CT can be checked once after surgery, and if conditions permit, it can be checked again one year after surgery.

3. CEA

In order to understand whether there is recurrence or liver metastasis after colorectal cancer surgery, a CEA test is necessary. CEA of patients in the advanced stage is elevated and cannot return to normal levels after surgery, which often indicates a poor prognosis. Moreover, CEA elevation often occurs 4-5 months earlier than the clinical symptoms of recurrence. It can not only monitor local recurrence, but also indicate distant metastasis to the liver and lungs.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Biopsy and exfoliative cytology

Biopsy is of decisive significance for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, especially early cancer and polyp cancer, as well as for differential diagnosis of lesions. It can clarify the nature, histological type and malignancy of the tumor, judge the prognosis and guide clinical treatment. Exfoliative cytology has high accuracy, but the sampling is cumbersome, and it is not easy to obtain satisfactory specimens, so it is rarely used in clinical practice.

The excellent professional examination methods introduced in the article can effectively detect the presence of colorectal cancer. It is for the majority of patients to understand these related contents to avoid missing items during the diagnosis process. Only when patients have fully mastered the relevant information and content can they ensure that the treatment process is foolproof.