What are the treatments for rectal cancer?

Rectal cancer is an anorectal disease caused by bad living habits. At present, it has jumped to the second place in the cancer rankings. The age of onset is mostly between 30 and 60 years old, and more men than women. If it can be detected early and treated in time, the prognosis is better. The cause is currently unclear, and it is related to rectal polyps, chronic inflammation and genetic factors. What are the treatments for rectal cancer?

(I) Surgical treatment is divided into radical and palliative.

1. Radical surgery: Although surgery can remove the cancer, there may still be residual cancer, regional lymph node metastasis, or cancer thrombus in the blood vessels, and the chance of recurrence and metastasis is very high. The surgical method depends on the location of the cancer in the rectum. There are two systems in the rectal wall: the submucosal lymph plexus and the intermuscular lymph plexus. It is rare for cancer cells to metastasize to the lymphatic system in the intestinal wall. Once cancer cells penetrate the intestinal wall, they spread to the lymphatic system outside the intestinal wall. Generally, the paraintestinal lymph nodes at the same level or slightly higher than the cancer are first affected, and then the intermediate lymph node group accompanying the superior hemorrhoidal artery is gradually affected upward, and finally to the lymph node group beside the inferior mesenteric artery.

2. Palliative surgery: If the local infiltration of the cancer is severe or the metastasis is extensive and cannot be cured, in order to relieve obstruction and reduce the patient's pain, palliative resection can be performed. The intestinal segment with cancer is limitedly resected, the distal end of the rectum is sutured, and the sigmoid colon is taken for stoma (Hartmann operation). If this is not possible, only sigmoid colostomy is performed, especially in patients with intestinal obstruction.

2. Radiotherapy

The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of rectal cancer has been increasingly recognized. There are two types of treatment: comprehensive treatment combined with surgery and traditional Chinese medicine, and simple radiotherapy.

1. Comprehensive treatment combining surgery, traditional Chinese medicine and radiotherapy

① Preoperative radiotherapy can control the primary lesion, control lymph node metastasis, improve the resection rate and reduce local recurrence. It is suitable for stage III rectal cancer. The radiation dose can reach 40-45gy (4000-4500rad) by using two fields of pelvic anterior and posterior irradiation. The surgery is performed 3 weeks after radiotherapy.

② Postoperative radiotherapy is suitable for pathological examination to confirm lymph node metastasis, tumor has obviously infiltrated the intestinal wall, and there are residual unresectable lesions in the pelvic cavity. It is usually started 1 to 2 months after surgery when the perineal wound has healed. The pelvic anterior and posterior fields are used for irradiation, and sometimes the perineal field is also used. The radiation dose can reach 45 to 50 gy (4500 to 5000 rad).

(III) Chemotherapy

About half of patients with rectal cancer experience metastasis and recurrence after surgery. Except for some early-stage patients, patients in the late stage and after surgical resection need chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is another important treatment measure after surgical treatment in the comprehensive treatment of rectal cancer. Chemotherapy will inhibit the bone marrow hematopoietic system, mainly the decrease of white blood cells and platelets, so as to make up for the deficiency of chemotherapy and reduce the damage of chemotherapy to the hematopoietic system.

(IV) Treatment with Chinese medicine

A large number of clinical practices have proved that high-dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy for patients in the middle and late stages, or chemotherapy again for patients with drug resistance, can only make the weak life more critical and accelerate the death of the patient. It is often seen in the clinic that the cause of death of patients is not caused by the cancer itself, but by unscientific and inappropriate lethal treatment. For example, after multiple interventions for liver cancer, ascites, jaundice and other liver failure occurred, leading to death; lung cancer pleural effusion chemotherapy led to respiratory failure and death; nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy for gastric cancer and intestinal cancer, patients became more exhausted and died; white blood cell count decreased, patients died of infection, etc. Traditional Chinese medicine can relieve patients' symptoms and pain, improve the quality of life, prolong life, and reduce the mortality rate of cancer.

The above are the treatment methods for rectal cancer. If you already have this disease, please go to the hospital as soon as possible. We will arrange a suitable treatment plan for you. If you have any questions, you can contact our online experts, who will give you detailed answers. I hope that patients can cherish their bodies. Your health is the happiness of your family. I wish you health and happiness!