What to do with gastrointestinal tumors

Gastrointestinal tumors are clinically malignant tumors. This disease is also relatively common in clinical practice and has a great impact on human health. Therefore, gastrointestinal tumors must be treated in a timely manner. Gastrointestinal tumors are likely to cause many complications, and the right medicine should be considered during treatment. So what should we do about gastrointestinal tumors?

1. Surgical treatment:

Patients who are suitable for surgery should strive for surgical treatment. More than 90% of early-stage gastric cancer and intestinal cancer can be cured through surgery. Some patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors can also be cured through surgery. Even for patients with advanced disease, as long as there is no extensive distant metastasis, palliative surgery may reduce serious complications such as perforation, bleeding and obstruction, and improve the patient's quality of life. Of course, at this time, the pros and cons of surgery should be weighed and the choice should be made carefully. In terms of surgery, it is worth mentioning that in recent years, minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer and intestinal cancer has made great progress. Laparoscopic radical resection of gastric cancer and colorectal cancer has developed rapidly due to its obvious advantages. Laparoscopic surgery can be completed with only a few small holes, avoiding interference with the abdominal organs. It causes less bleeding, less trauma, faster recovery, and less postoperative pain. The therapeutic effect is comparable to that of open surgery, and the surgery is safer.

2. Chemotherapy:

Except for some early gastric cancer and intestinal cancer, chemotherapy is generally recommended after surgery. Patients who are not candidates for surgery should also receive chemotherapy if their circumstances allow. For patients after radical surgery, chemotherapy can kill cancer cells in the blood circulation, inhibit tumor growth, and delay tumor recurrence and metastasis. For patients with advanced cancer, chemotherapy can inhibit the growth of cancer tissue, improve quality of life and prolong life. Of course, chemotherapy may cause side effects such as vomiting, hair loss, and low white blood cell count. There are many new drugs available now, and the vast majority of patients can complete chemotherapy successfully. There is no need to be afraid of chemotherapy.

3. Radiotherapy:

For rectal cancer that is located lower, in addition to chemotherapy, radiotherapy should be carried out as early as possible, which is what ordinary people call radiotherapy. Radiotherapy has a clear effect on local control of rectal cancer and is relatively effective in preventing and controlling lymph node metastasis. Research on radiotherapy for gastric cancer is also being conducted worldwide and has made some progress. Perhaps radiotherapy will also be routinely performed after gastric cancer surgery in the future.

4. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy:

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy before surgery (medically known as neoadjuvant therapy) is currently a popular treatment method internationally and is also being gradually developed in my country. Preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy can shrink tumors and kill cancer cells in the blood circulation, making surgery possible for patients who were originally unable to have their tumors removed, allowing patients who are not completely cured to undergo radical surgery, and reducing bleeding during surgery. Especially for some patients with rectal cancer, preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy can enable patients who cannot retain their anus to retain their anus and improve their quality of life. If the doctor recommends preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patient should actively cooperate, because for patients with gastrointestinal cancer, surgery is not the ultimate goal. Improving the quality of life and prolonging survival are the ultimate goals.