Rectal Cancer, Part 1

Rectal cancer is a tumor or tumors located in the rectum. The rectum is the last several inches of the large intestine. It starts at the end of the final segment of your colon and ends in the short and narrow passage leading to the anus. Like many other types of cancer, rectal cancer can be benign or malignant. Because of the proximity of the colon to the rectum, cancers located in these areas are often referred to as colorectal cancer.

The similarities and differences of rectal and colon cancers

Rectal and colon cancers are similar since both may originate from intestinal cells. Cancers in the intestines are called adenocarcinomas. Thus, both cancers are adenocarcinomas unless proven otherwise. The difference lies in the strategy or mode of treatment. Complete surgical removal of rectal cancer, because of the tight anatomical space, is challenging and highly complex. Additional treatment before or after surgery, or both, may be advocated and instituted to reduce the chance that the cancer will return. Advances in medicine and surgery over the past 30 years have made rectal cancer curable.

What causes rectal cancer?

Rectal cancer is often caused by errors in the DNA. In most cases, the cause of the errors is unknown. Said errors result to cancerous cells that continue to divide and multiply even when new cells are not needed. In some families, these errors or cellular mutations are passed from parents to children.

Risk factors

The older you are, the greater is the risk. Most patients with rectal cancer are diagnosed when they are over 50 years old. Colorectal cancer occurs less frequently in younger people. If you have a past medical or personal history of rectal, colon cancer, or intestinal polyps, you have a greater risk for colon or rectal cancer in the future. Inflammation in the colon, rectum, or elsewhere in the intestines increase your risk for rectal and colon cancer. A family history of colon or rectal cancer is a risk factor. Other factors include: low vegetable and high red meat diet, inactivity or lack of exercise, diabetes, obesity, alcohol, smoking, stress, and radiation therapy from previous cancer treatment.

Signs and symptoms of rectal cancer

See your doctor if you have the following symptoms suggesting rectal cancer: Change in bowel habits (alternating diarrhea and constipation or more frequent bowel movements), dark or red blood in stool, mucus in stool, narrow or small caliber stool, abdominal pain, painful bowel movements, iron deficiency anemia, a feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely, unexplained weight loss, and weakness or fatigue.