🥚 Gastrointestinal🟢 BasicColorectal Cancer

Colorectal Carcinoma

Cancer of the colon or rectum, a common cancer that often grows from a polyp over years and can be caught early by screening.

Key points

Colorectal cancer is a common cancer of the large bowel, most arising from a benign polyp (an adenoma) over several years.
Risk is raised by age, a family history, long-standing ulcerative colitis, and a diet low in fibre and high in red meat.
Right-sided cancers tend to bleed silently, causing anaemia and tiredness, while left-sided ones tend to alter the bowel habit and obstruct.
Rectal cancer often causes bleeding, a feeling of incomplete emptying, and a change in the shape of the stool.
Because it grows slowly from polyps, screening such as testing the stool for blood and colonoscopy can find and remove it early.

Memory trick

Colorectal cancer usually grows from an adenoma polyp over years (age, family history, ulcerative colitis, low-fibre diet): the right side bleeds silently (anaemia), the left alters bowel habit and obstructs; rectal is bleeding and incomplete emptying; screening catches it early.

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🥚 Gastrointestinal🟢 BasicColorectal Cancer

Colorectal Carcinoma

Cancer of the colon or rectum, a common cancer that often grows from a polyp over years and can be caught early by screening.

Key points

Colorectal cancer is a common cancer of the large bowel, most arising from a benign polyp (an adenoma) over several years.
Risk is raised by age, a family history, long-standing ulcerative colitis, and a diet low in fibre and high in red meat.
Right-sided cancers tend to bleed silently, causing anaemia and tiredness, while left-sided ones tend to alter the bowel habit and obstruct.
Rectal cancer often causes bleeding, a feeling of incomplete emptying, and a change in the shape of the stool.
Because it grows slowly from polyps, screening such as testing the stool for blood and colonoscopy can find and remove it early.

Memory trick

All of General Surgery More Gastrointestinal