The reason why colorectal cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages

Cancer is basically the result of gradual genetic mutation. When genetic mutation reaches a certain level, it will lead to cancer when encountering certain inducements, such as fatigue leading to low immunity. Why is colon cancer difficult to detect in the early stages?

1. Colon cancer is easily confused with other diseases: About 30% to 40% of colon cancer patients are misdiagnosed due to the negligence of doctors and patients themselves. The diseases whose symptoms are easily confused with colon cancer mainly include hemorrhoids, anal fissures, intestinal polyps, dysentery, gastric ulcers, colitis and other diseases. It is mainly because of blood in the stool that it is easily confused with colon cancer, which can easily cause confusion. Among them, nearly half of the patients with rectal cancer were misdiagnosed as hemorrhoids in the early stage. Although both have blood in the stool, there is actually a difference. Colon cancer patients will have abdominal distension and abdominal pain due to intestinal obstruction. When the tumor ruptures, the stool will contain pus and blood, and the stool and blood will be mixed. However, the stool of patients with hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and intestinal polyps is not mixed with blood, but attached to the surface of the stool, and the blood is bright red or relatively fresh.

2. Work stress and neglect of physical health: In recent years, colorectal cancer patients are getting younger and younger, especially some social elites around 40 years old are prone to colorectal cancer. They have several common points: ① High mental stress affects gastrointestinal function and changes in bowel function; ② Irregular diet due to busy work, disrupting the physiological rhythm of the digestive tract and poor bowel function; ③ Long-term excessive drinking, damp heat in the intestines, and poor bowel movements. Moreover, young people have strong immune functions and fierce body resistance reactions, which will stimulate the growth rate of cancer cells.