intestinal cancer | Intestinal cancer: symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

Intestinal cancer: symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and prevention







An intestinal cancer could manifest itself with unjustified weight loss, presence of blood in the stool, frequent stimulation of evacuation without the production of feces, unusual and persistent abdominal pain. Here are the symptoms, the risk factors, the tools for early diagnosis, treatment and prevention
The intestine, as is known, constitutes the portion of the digestive system responsible for digestion (fragmentation) and absorption of food, as well as the emission of faeces (defecation).

SYMPTOMS: Unjustified weight loss, presence of blood in the stool, frequent stimulation of evacuation without the production of feces, unusual and persistent abdominal pain could be alarm bells of intestinal cancer.

intestine RISK FACTORS: Generally the risk of getting sick increases after 50 years of age. Among the risk factors of intestinal cancer: cancer or intestinal polyps of one of the parents or siblings, previous removal of intestinal polyps, chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa (eg ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease), certain hereditary diseases of the intestine .

DIAGNOSIS: The early diagnosis is fundamental, performed with the blood test in the stool, which allows to detect the presence of blood in the feces even when it is not visible to the naked eye. If there is blood in the stool, it is necessary to determine its origin, usually by means of a colonoscopy, since the origin can also be non-malignant (eg hemorrhoids).

intestineThe colonoscopy allows you to observe, through a small camera introduced into the intestine with an endoscope, the inside of the intestine, visualizing the images directly on a monitor, searching with high confidence the presence of intestinal polyps and tumors also of mnimal size.

CARE: Treatment depends on the stage of disease progression. If it is in the initial phase, surgery is used, which can be followed by a period of adjuvant therapy to avoid a relapse; while, in the case in which distant metastases are present, different approaches can be adopted (surgical, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) according to the disease.

intestine1PREVENTION: Intestinal cancer is prevented by avoiding overweight and smoking, practicing physical activity (just walking briskly or cycling for at least half an hour a day), reducing the consumption of red meat (to be replaced with chicken and fish ), limit the consumption of alcohol, consume a lot of fruit and vegetables, at least 5 servings a day. In addition, it is necessary to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, replacing the cream based sauces with lighter and more genuine sauces, such as those based on vegetable puree. To avoid the high fat products and fried foods.