What is colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer generally refers to a neoplasm formed in normal colorectal tissue under the stimulation of carcinogens. It is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract.

Colorectal cancer is more common among human digestive tract tumors. The pathogenesis of colorectal cancer is still unclear. Studies have shown that the occurrence of colorectal cancer is related to bad eating habits, such as high-fat diet, which stimulates the intestine to produce carcinogens through a series of chemical reactions; high-fiber diet helps the delivery and elimination of intestinal contents, reducing the stimulation of intestinal carcinogens to the intestine, and low-fiber diet leads to the incidence of colorectal cancer.

The symptoms of early colorectal cancer are not obvious and are often easily overlooked. As the tumor progresses, rectal cancer may cause symptoms of rectal irritation, which may manifest as diarrhea, urgency, and heaviness. As the tumor volume and penetration depth increase, the symptoms become more severe; after the surface of the tumor ruptures, symptoms of blood in the stool may appear, and the tumor significantly increases and blocks the intestinal cavity, leading to obstruction symptoms, abdominal pain, bloating, thin stools, or difficulty in defecation. The symptoms of colon cancer are closely related to the location of the tumor: the symptoms of the right colon are mainly anemia, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, indigestion, fever, and occasional abdominal pain; the symptoms of the left colon are mainly changes in bowel habits, sometimes with symptoms of blood in the stool, late constipation, difficulty in defecation, and more prone to intestinal obstruction.

The progression of colorectal cancer includes local invasive growth, and it can also metastasize to distant tissues and organs along the lymph nodes or blood. The most common metastatic site is the liver, followed by the lungs, bones, etc. Advanced colon cancer may even metastasize to the peritoneum. The treatment of colorectal cancer mainly includes comprehensive treatment plans such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and traditional Chinese medicine.

Colorectal cancer refers to a neoplasm formed by abnormal gene regulation and abnormal proliferation of normal colorectal tissue under the stimulation of carcinogens. It can grow by local infiltration and metastasis locally or remotely. Once discovered, it should be treated as soon as possible.