According to the survey, the incidence rate and age of onset of bowel cancer in China are now showing a “double rising” trend. Starting from the age of 55, the risk of colorectal tumor incidence continues to rise, and generally reaches its peak in the age group of 80-84.
In Shanghai, for example, more than half of the colorectal cancer cases are in people over 70 years old; and among patients over 75 years old, colorectal tumors continue to climb at a rate of 3.91% per year. With the gradual improvement of living standards, people consume more and more high-calorie, low dietary fiber food, coupled with daily “pampered” lack of exercise, which leads to intestinal cancer, this lifestyle-related “rich people’s disease” incidence rate increases year by year.
Insidious development of colorectal cancer in the elderly
Huang Rui, member of tumor metastasis committee of China Anti-Cancer Association and professor of colorectal cancer surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, pointed out in an interview with the reporter that the elderly is a susceptible group of people, and the incidence rate of their malignant tumors is significantly higher than that of other groups. As the proportion of the elderly population increases, the number of new malignant tumors and the number of long-term survival will also “rise”, and it is necessary to strive for early detection and early treatment, so that the elderly colorectal cancer patients can have a long-term survival rate and a better quality of life after surgery.
Huang Rui introduced that, due to the physiological function decline of elderly patients, slow reaction, slow growth of colorectal tumors, lack of specificity of early symptoms, most of the initial clinical manifestations of the elderly are not obvious, and often have entered the middle and late stages when they seek medical treatment. Generally speaking, the common first symptom of intestinal cancer patients is change of bowel habit and bloody stool, mucus stool, followed by intestinal obstruction, abdominal mass, abdominal pain and distension, diarrhea, etc. With the increase of age, the incidence of abdominal mass and intestinal obstruction of elderly patients with colorectal cancer increases, and they have to be extra vigilant to these “clues”.
Early clinical symptoms should not be ignored
Research data show that China’s elderly colorectal cancer to the rectum, sigmoid colon incidence is the highest, followed by the right half of the colon, transverse colon, descending colon. Elderly colorectal tumors are usually around 2-5 cm, with fewer cases of tumors less than 2 cm. Meanwhile, the ulcerated type is more common clinically, followed by the bulging type, infiltrating type and other types are relatively rare.
In view of the above situation, Huang Rui reminded that, for the mild symptoms of the digestive tract of elderly patients, such as bloody stool, mucous blood stool, and change of bowel habit, outpatient clinic and clinicians should pay great attention to it, ask for medical history carefully, and give appropriate examinations in time, including anal finger test, total colonoscopy, abdominal CT, etc., in order to avoid omission of diagnosis and misdiagnosis; and at the same time, they also need to increase the efforts of popularization of science and education, so as to let the general public to understand and know about colorectal cancer.
Huang Rui pointed out that the high percentage of stage I to II colorectal cancer patients of advanced age and the predominance of middle and high differentiated cancers indicate that their malignant degree is relatively low, and there exists a better prognosis, which, to a certain extent, provides favorable conditions for radical resection and obtaining better curative effect. At present, China’s medical technology and level are already very high, and age has long been no constraint for surgery. Effective control of preoperative comorbidities and perioperative monitoring and treatment can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative complications and surgical deaths, so that the elderly can enjoy the “second spring” after surgery.
Bowel cancer prevention: “Keep your mouth shut and your legs open”.
So, how can we avoid colorectal cancer? Huang Rui cautioned that, from the level of living habits, the prevention of bowel cancer must “keep your mouth shut and keep your legs open”, which are crucial, because the genetic susceptibility genes can not be changed, but can be prevented by changing the bad lifestyle. For example, quit smoking and limit alcohol, reduce weight, control blood sugar, and more intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Usually, we should eat more vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as cabbage, spinach, celery and broccoli, etc.; we should also eat dragon fruit, kiwi, oranges and other fruits conducive to laxative effect, in order to reduce the time of fecal carcinogens in contact with the intestinal mucosa, and prevent colorectal cancer. In addition, it is also necessary to abstain from spicy, cold, sour and astringent products; high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber and smoked, deep-fried, pickled food should also be respected, in order to avoid increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, as well as excessive nitrite damage to the body.
Prevention of constipation can effectively reduce the risk of colon cancer, so many people have a little bit of difficulty in bowel movements on the use of laxatives to solve the problem, Huang Rui reminded that this practice is not desirable. “Drugs are three poisons”, laxatives can help promote gastrointestinal movement, conducive to defecation, but long-term abuse will cause abnormal gastrointestinal peristalsis, destroying the normal intestinal flora; at the same time will be dependent on laxatives, once the drug is discontinued, it will lead to more serious constipation. Huang Rui pointed out that laxatives can only be applied in special constipation or obstruction, or before gastroenteroscopy, is a temporary emergency drug, can not be taken at will.
Huang Rui suggests that elderly people should enhance the awareness of regular medical checkups, and strive to do a comprehensive body checkup every year, especially every two years or so for a colonoscopy screening, such as the discovery of rectal polyps or pre-cancerous lesions, to facilitate timely treatment.