Treatment at World Best Cancer Hospitals in India : The Most Successful Treatment for Rectal Cancer

Rectal cancer occurs when cancerous cells develop in the tissue of the rectum. The rectum is the last part of the large intestine and leads to the anus, which is the opening to the outside of the body. Body waste is stored in the rectum until it is eliminated from the body through the anus.

Although rectal cancer is a life-threatening disease, it is a highly curable form of cancer if found early. Therefore, regular check-ups and screenings are very important.

Although the exact cause of rectal cancer is unknown, certain risk factors have been identified that may increase a person's chance of developing the disease.

Commonsigns and symptoms of rectal cancer include:

· A change in bowel habits

· Diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely

· Blood, either bright red or very dark in the stool

· Stools that are narrower than usual

· General abdominal discomfort such as frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness or cramps

· Weight loss with no known reason

In making a diagnosis of rectal cancer, your doctor will first start by recording your medical history, asking about any symptoms you may be experiencing and conducting a thorough physical examination. He or she also may recommend one or more of the following diagnostic tests:

· Digital Rectal Exam — This exam involves the doctor or nurse inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for an abnormalities.

· Barium Enema — Also known as a lower gastrointestinal series, this test involves taking X-rays of the large intestines.

· Fecal Occult Blood Test — This is a noninvasive test that detects the presence of hidden, or occult blood in the stool. Such blood may arise from anywhere along the digestive tract. Hidden blood in the stool is often the first, and in many cases the only, warning sign that a person has colorectal cancer.

Treatment for rectal cancer may include surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or a combination of these approaches.

Surgery

Surgery is the main treatment for all stages of rectal cancer, although radiation, chemotherapy, or both are often recommended in combination.

Some patients who undergo surgery for rectal cancer require a permanent colostomy — a surgically created opening in the abdominal wall through which waste is excreted. If you have a colostomy, our specially trained nurses will help you learn how to manage the colostomy and incorporate it into your lifestyle.

Depending on the location, stage and size of your tumor, your doctor will remove your cancer with one of the following methods:

· Local excision — This surgical approach is used for very early stage cancers. It involves inserting a tube through the rectum into the colon and removing the cancer, rather than making a cut in the abdominal wall. If the cancer is found in a polyp, the procedure is called a polypectomy.

· Resection and anastomosis — This approach is used for larger and more advanced cancers and involves removing the portion if the rectum containing the cancer, as well as the fatty tissue that surrounds the rectum and contains the lymph nodes. Afterwards, the doctor will sew the colon to the remaining rectum or the anus, during a procedure called an anastomosis.

· Resection and colostomy — This approach is used when the rectum cannot be sewn back together. In these cases, a colostomy is performed, in which an opening outside of the body for waste to pass through is created, called a stoma. A bag is then placed around the stoma to collect the waste. The colostomy may be temporary, although if the entire rectum is removed, it is permanent. Our specially trained nurses will help you learn how to manage your colostomy and incorporate it into your lifestyle.

Targeted Therapy

Certain substances and drugs are used by the targeted therapy in order to target particular cancer cells without causing any harm to nearby normal cells. The two types of targeted therapy include :

Angiogenesis Inhibitors :This helps in stopping the growth of new blood vessels which tumors need to grow.

Monoclonal Antibodies : These antibodies are prepared in the laboratory with the help of a single type of immune system. Certain substances can be identified by these antibodies that are on the cancer cells or it also indentifies certain normal substances that are helping in the growth of cancer cells. These antibodies then attach themselves with the substances for destroying cancer cells and also prevent them from spreading.

Chemotherapy : Certain types of drugs are used for stopping the growth of cancer cells or for destroying the cancer cells. The injection of these drugs is done into a vein from where they enter the bloodstream and they then travel through the entire body.

Radiation therapy : High-energy beams are used for destroying cancer cells. Internal radiation and external radiation are the two types of radiation therapy. A radioactive substance that is sealed in catheters, needles wires or seeds is placed close to the cancer in the case of internal radiation. On the other hand, linear accelerators outside the body are used for sending radiation to the cancer in the case of external radiation. The type of radiation depends on the stage and type of the cancer.