Detailed introduction to the treatment of rectal cancer

The treatment of rectal cancer cannot simply rely on chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which have huge side effects on people. Even if the condition is temporarily relieved, when the disease is serious, other treatments for rectal cancer cannot be relaxed.

The progress of basic research in recent years has further clarified the genetic changes that cause colorectal cancer. Oncogenes, anti-cancer genes and mismatch repair genes are the two main pathways of colorectal cancer. In clinical practice, hereditary colorectal cancer, HNPCC, multiple primary colorectal cancer, and colorectal adenoma have received sufficient attention, and have laid a solid foundation for further improving the diagnosis and treatment of rectal cancer. The main method for early detection and diagnosis of colorectal cancer is fiber endoscopy. The combination of fecal occult blood, rectal digital examination and colonoscopy can improve the early diagnosis rate of rectal cancer.

Surgery is the main treatment for colorectal cancer. Although there have been some advances in the surgical treatment of colorectal cancer, it is very difficult to improve treatment outcomes by further improving surgical techniques alone. Moreover, about 30% to 40% of colorectal cancer patients have already developed distant metastases when diagnosed, and even about 50% of patients with early lesions will have postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, systemic chemotherapy is both the main means of postoperative adjuvant treatment for early and middle-stage colorectal cancer and the main means of palliative treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. In recent years, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has improved the resection rate and treatment effect of rectal cancer for liver metastases that cannot be removed from colorectal cancer, and preoperative chemoradiotherapy for mid- and low-position rectal cancer has also clearly improved the resection rate and survival rate.

The above is an introduction to the treatment methods of rectal cancer. I believe that through this article, everyone will have a better understanding of the treatment methods of rectal cancer. If you still have any questions, you may wish to consult our online experts here and listen to their opinions on the treatment of rectal cancer.