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Department: Artemis Cancer Institute
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Colorectal Cancer Surgery
Your body is made up of many types of cells. In normal course, cells grow, divide, and produce more cells to keep your body healthy. However, at times, this process goes wrong and cells become abnormal, forming more cells in an uncontrolled way. These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or a 'tumour'. Tumours can be benign, which means not cancerous, or malignant, which means cancerous. Colorectal cancer occurs when a malignant tumour forms in the tissue of your colon or rectum.
WHO IS AT A RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER?
Colorectal cancer is more likely to occur as people get older. Polyps (small balloon like growths) in the colon or rectum increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Removal of these polyps can reduce the risk. Family history of colorectal cancer also increase the risk. A person who has had a condition that causes inflammation of the colon (such as ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease) for many years is at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COLORECTAL CANCER?
A common symptom of colorectal cancer is a change in bowel habits. Some other symptoms are :
Other health problems can also cause the above symptoms.
So, if you have any of these symptoms, then you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
HOW IS COLORECTAL CANCER DIAGNOSED?
If symptoms suggest colorectal cancer, your doctor will ask you for a detailed medical history and will do a physical examination before conducting any of the following tests:
Screening tests
Screening tests help your doctor, find polyps or cancer before the symptoms appear. Finding and removing polyps may
prevent colorectal cancer.
Following people are ideal candidates for screening :
The following screening tests can be used to detect polyps, cancer, or other abnormal areas :
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) : FOBT can detect tiny amounts of blood in the stool, as sometimes cancers or polyps bleed. If this test detects blood, other tests are required to find the source of the blood.
Sigmoidoscopy : Your doctor examines the internal part of your rectum as well as the lower part of your colon with a lighted tube called a sigmoidoscope. If polyps are found, the doctor removes them. The procedure of removing polyps is called a polypectomy.
Diagnostic tests
Colonoscopy : Your doctor examines the inside of the rectum and the entire colon using a long, lighted tube called a colonoscope. Your doctor removes polyps that may are found.
Double contrast barium enema : You are given an enema with a barium solution, and air is pumped into your rectum. Several X-ray pictures are taken of your colon and rectum. The barium and air help your radiologist in getting good. X-ray images of the colon and the rectum. There is a possibility that polyps or tumours may show up.
Digital rectal exam : A rectal exam is often part of a routine physical examination. Your doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to feel for abnormal areas.
To know the stage of the disease, some other tests are recommended :
Colonoscopy : If colonoscopy was not performed for diagnosis, your doctor checks for abnormal areas along the entire length of the colon and rectum with a colonoscope.
Endorectal USG : It is usually used for rectal cancers. An ultrasound probe is inserted into your rectum. The probe sends out sound waves that people cannot hear. The waves bounce off your rectum and nearby tissues, and a computer uses the echoes to create a picture. The picture may show how deep a rectal tumour has grown or whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other nearby tissues.
Chest X-ray : X-rays of your chest may show whether cancer has spread to your lungs.
CT Scan : An X-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside your body. You may receive an injection of dye. A CT scan may show whether cancer has spread to the liver, lungs, or other organs.
HOW IS COLORECTAL CANCER TREATED ?
The choice of treatment depends mainly on the location of the tumour in the colon or rectum and the stage of the
disease.
Treatment for colorectal cancer may involve:
Some patients receive a combination of these treatments.
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. When a section of your colon or rectum is removed, your surgeon is usually able to reconnect the healthy parts.
However, sometimes reconnection is not possible. In this case, the surgeon creates a new path, for waste, to leave your body. The surgeon makes an opening (stoma) in the wall of the abdomen, connects the upper end of the intestine to the stoma, and closes the other end. The operation to create the stoma is called a colostomy. A flat bag fits over the stoma to collect waste, and a special adhesive holds it in place.
Chemotherapy
Anticancer drugs are used to kill the cancer cells. These drugs used to treat colorectal cancer, are usually given intravenously (IV) or orally.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy may also be used in the treatment of rectal cancer. Radiation therapy is a treatment with high-energy rays (such as X-rays) to kill or shrink cancer cells. It may also be used in the treatment of rectal cancer.
It may be used to treat cancer that has recurred, either in the skin or lymph nodes, if it cannot be removed by surgery. It may also be used to treat distant spread or to relieve symptoms of cancer that have spread to the brain or bones
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF TREATMENT?
Unwanted side effects may sometimes occur as cancer treatment can damage healthy cells and tissues. These side effects depend on many factors, including the type and extent of the treatment. The common side effects are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, hair loss, etc. These side effects are temporary and go away with time.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
The management of pain is an integral part of cancer therapy. Medications are the cornerstone of cancer pain treatment, and their use is aimed at providing the greatest pain relief possible with the fewest number of side effects and the most ease of administration. Your doctor will prescribe a medication that ensures maximum pain relief. Sometimes your doctor might recommend some interventional procedures like surgery and / or injections. Complementary and alternative forms of medicine may also be helpful in relieving cancer pain.
FOLLOW UP CARE
In cancer treatment, follow up care is an essential element of the overall treatment plan. Regular checkups will be advised to detect any changes in your health as early as possible.
CANCER CARE AT ARTEMIS
At Artemis Health Institute, state-of-the-art facilities are available for cancer diagnosis, treatment, follow up care and rehabilitation. These include advance imagine technologies such as a PET Scan, DWIBS and 3TMRI for diagnosing cancer. The such as Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and Brachytherapy
WHAT IS THE COLON AND THE RECTUM?
Colon and rectum are parts of the large intestine. The upper part of the large intestine, is called the colon, whereas, the lower part or the last few inches of the large intestine are called the rectum. The function of the colon, is to absorb the electrolytes and water from the food, that is partly in the digested form. After absorption, the waste that remains, called the stool, is passed into the rectum which pushes it out of the body through the anus.
In temporary brachytherapy, the radioactive material is placed inside or near a tumour for a specific amount of time and then withdrawn. In temporary brachytherapy, a delivery device, such as a catheter, needle or applicator is placed into the tumour using fluoroscopy, ultrasound or CT to help position them. The physician may insert the radioactive material at the same time remotely through the delivery device, and later remove the material and delivery device. Temporary brachytherapy can be administered at a high-dose rate (HDR).
AHI has HDR Brachytherapy from Nucletron, Model Microselectron HDR.X.
Diseases:-
The oncologists at AHI are equipped to treat various kinds of cancers, including but not limited to:
- Larynx
- Colorectal Cancer
- Hodgkin's Disease
- Leukaemia
- Prostate Cancer
- Oesophagus Cancer
- Oral Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
Special Care Units / Diagnostic Equipment / Facilities
- Diffusion Weighted Whole Body Imaging with Background Body Signal (DWIBS)
- 3 Tesla MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
- Mammography System
- PET Scan
- Advanced CT Scan (64-slice CT)
- PET-CT Fusion Technology
- Dual Head Gamma Camera
- Brachytherapy
- Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) - the first in North India
Team of Specialists:
- Dr Ranga Rao Consultant- Medical OncologyView Profile
- Dr Subodh Pandey Consultant- Radiation OncologistView Profile