Five diseases that are easily confused with colorectal cancer

The main symptoms of colorectal cancer include blood in stool, changes in bowel habits, mucus in stool, blood in stool, and intestinal obstruction, which are easily confused with some diseases and need to be carefully identified.

1. Colon tuberculosis, dysentery

Cancer of the left colon or rectum often presents with bloody or mucous stools, frequent bowel movements or diarrhea, and is often misdiagnosed as colitis. A differential diagnosis can be made through sigmoidoscopy and a careful physical examination.

2. Internal hemorrhoids

The general symptom of internal hemorrhoids is painless bleeding, which may be dripping blood or linear bleeding from the anus. Rectal cancer patients may also have blood in the stool, but they often have anorectal irritation symptoms when they seek medical treatment. It is very easy to distinguish between the two, and the difference can be seen through anorectal digital examination or proctoscopy.

3. Anal fistula

Anal fistula usually starts with a perianal abscess, which begins with local pain. After the abscess ruptures, a fistula is formed and the symptoms are relieved. There is no change in bowel habits or stool properties that is not associated with rectal cancer or anal canal cancer.

4. Appendicitis

Cecal cancer often presents with right lower abdominal pain and mass, as well as fever, which can be easily misdiagnosed as appendicitis or appendix abscess, with a clinical misdiagnosis rate of 25%. Experts say that a clear diagnosis can be made by combining medical history and X-ray examination. If the diagnosis cannot be made, surgical exploration should be performed.

5. Peptic ulcer, cholecystitis

Experts point out that right-sided colon cancer, especially hepatic flexure colon cancer and transverse colon cancer, which cause upper abdominal discomfort or pain, fever, positive fecal occult blood test, right upper abdominal mass, etc., are sometimes misdiagnosed as ulcer disease and cholecystitis. However, the two can be distinguished by combining medical history and X-ray examination.