How to treat advanced rectal cancer?

How is advanced colorectal cancer treated?

The cause of rectal cancer is still unclear, and it may be related to factors such as diet, genetics, and age. Advanced rectal cancer can be treated with palliative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and other methods.

Details are as follows:

1. Palliative radiotherapy

Most advanced patients have lost the opportunity for surgery. High-energy radiation can be used to kill cancer cells, which can relieve the pain caused by the tumor to a certain extent, reduce the size of the tumor, and prolong the patient's survival.

2. Chemotherapy

Advanced patients can use drugs such as 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and calcium folinate as recommended by doctors to inhibit tumor cell division, help control the disease, and prolong the median overall survival.

3. Targeted drug therapy

For patients with clear oncogenic driver genes, targeted drugs such as bevacizumab and cetuximab can be used according to the doctor's advice to improve the patient's prognosis.

4. Palliative surgery

In the late stage of rectal cancer, cancer cells invade the local part seriously and are accompanied by distant metastasis. Palliative surgery can remove local tumors, reduce tumor burden, improve the patient's quality of life, and prolong survival.

Patients with advanced rectal cancer should actively cooperate with doctors for treatment to control the growth, development and spread of tumors, help relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients.