Bowel cancer: symptoms, causes, types and treatment

Bowel cancer is a malignant tumor that develops mainly in the large intestine, such as the colon, rectum and anus, leading to symptoms such as frequent diarrhea, blood in the stool (anemia) or abdominal pain. Furthermore, although it is rarer, this type of cancer can also appear in the small intestine.

Bowel cancer is more common in people over 45 years of age and can arise from the development of intestinal polyps, which are clusters of cells that form in the intestinal wall and which, if not removed, can transform into malignant lesions.

Therefore, it is important that in the presence of symptoms of bowel cancer, the proctologist or gastroenterologist is consulted, so that tests can be carried out, such as colonoscopy, to identify the type of tumor and the most appropriate treatment can be initiated.

Bowel cancer symptoms

The main symptoms of bowel cancer are:

• Blood in the stool;
• Dor abdominal;
• Diarrhea or constipation;
• Feeling of heaviness or pain in the anal region;
• Frequent tiredness;
• Anemia;
• Weight loss without apparent cause.

Symptoms of bowel cancer usually appear as the disease develops and are more common in people who have a family history of bowel cancer or who have chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, for example.

Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor when symptoms last more than 1 month, there is a family history of cancer and/or the person has a risk factor, such as inadequate diet or obesity, for example, so that the diagnosis can be made and initiated. treatment immediately afterwards.

Online symptom test

To find out your risk of bowel cancer, select your symptoms from the test below:

The symptom test is only a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis or replace consultation with a gastroenterologist, coloproctologist or general practitioner.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of bowel cancer is made by a proctologist or gastroenterologist through tests such as occult blood in feces, colonoscopy with biopsy, colonoscopy with biopsy and computed tomography.

Make an appointment with your nearest doctor using the following tool to assess your risk of bowel cancer:

Before carrying out these tests, the doctor may also ask for some changes in diet and lifestyle to confirm that the symptoms are not being caused by less serious situations such as food intolerances or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Check out other tests requested to diagnose bowel cancer.

Furthermore, as part of the prevention of bowel cancer, the doctor may request colonoscopy regularly, which is recommended from the age of 45, or after the age of 40, in the case of people who have a family history of bowel cancer.

Types of bowel cancer

The types of bowel cancer can be classified according to their origin, the main ones being:

• Adenocarcinoma: is the most common type of bowel cancer that forms from changes in the cells lining the intestinal wall that produce mucus;
• Tumor carcinoide: It originates from hormone-producing cells in the large or small intestine and is slow-growing, also called neuroendocrine tumors;
• Tumor estromal gastrointestinal (GIST): This type of tumor originates from the interstitial cells that line the wall of any part of the intestine, and is rarer to occur in the colon;
• Squamous cell tumor: This type of bowel cancer occurs in the squamous cells that make up the intestinal wall, together with the glandular cells, being a rarer type of tumor, which most frequently affects the rectosigmoid colon;
• Lymphoma: it is a type of tumor that affects the intestinal lymph nodes, and can affect the small intestine, colon or rectum, for example;
• Sarcoma ou leiomiossarcoma: This type of tumor affects the blood vessels, muscles or intestinal walls, and can occur in the rectum, colon and small intestine.

These types of cancer can occur more frequently in the colon or rectum, called colorectal cancer or cancer of the colon and rectum, or affect the small intestine, called small bowel cancer, which is a rarer type of tumor. and may appear in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum or appendix, for example.

Additionally, bowel cancer can arise due to cancer metastasizing to other organs, such as melanoma.

Possible causes

The exact cause of bowel cancer is still not very clear, however, it occurs due to a mutation in intestinal cells, which begin to multiply uncontrollably.

Some factors can contribute to the development of bowel cancer, the main ones being:

• Agebeing more common in people over 45 years of age;
• Previous history of bowel cancer or intestinal polyps;
• Family history of bowel canceror Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP);
• Inflammatory bowel diseasesuch as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease;
• High-fat foodred meat, processed and low fiber foods.

Furthermore, the risk is greater in people who are overweight, do not practice physical activity regularly and have habits such as a diet high in fat and low in fiber.

Bowel cancer treatment

Treatment for bowel cancer must be indicated by a gastroenterologist or proctologist according to the characteristics of the tumor, stage of the disease and the person’s age. In general, the doctor recommends surgery to remove the portion of the intestine affected by cancer and a nearby part that is healthy, and chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy sessions may be recommended after surgery.

In some cases, before surgery, the doctor may recommend radio or chemotherapy sessions to slow the growth of the tumor and reduce its size so that surgical removal can be effective. See in more detail how the treatment for bowel cancer is carried out.