How not to miss early symptoms of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract

Gastrointestinal tract - this is certainly the most prone to cancer system of our body. In this organ, a tumor can develop anywhere. At the same time, all oncopathologies of the gastrointestinal tract are dangerous and have the same peculiarity: in the early stages There are practically no signs of the disease.

Symptoms of stomach and pancreatic cancer

For example, cancer in the pancreas often does not appear until the stage when it is already hard to treat (the tumor has increased and began to spread).

Externally, the symptoms of cancer manifest jaundice in the patient, weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, and the presence of fat in the stool. If the tumor blocks the bile duct into the intestine, the feces lose their brown color and become pale, and urine, on the contrary, darkens.

By the way, in the head of the pancreas cancer is detected earlier than in the oncopathology of its other areas.

Cancer of the large intestine: symptoms

Cancer of the large intestine (colorectal) is in second place in the country in terms of the number of cases. As with pathologies in other parts of the gastrointestinal tract, colon cancer does not have specific, only its symptoms. Blood in the feces or black stools, constipation or diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, pain in the anus, in the stomach, bloating are not only symptoms of cancer, but also manifestations of other diseases.

Method of early diagnosis of cancer

Proceeding from the above, one of the most effective methods for the timely diagnosis of oncology is a colonoscopy (a complete visual examination of the walls of the large intestine with a probe).

This procedure allows not only to establish the state of the intestinal mucosa, but also to take painless, if necessary, during the examination, small fragments of tissue for laboratory analysis. If small polyps are found, they can be removed immediately.

If the family has a hereditary predisposition to cancer, this examination should be done to all those who have reached the age of forty and conduct repeated examinations regularly: every 4-5 years.

What manifestations should alert

In order not to miss the early symptoms of cancer, it is necessary to be attentive to the state of your body. So, frequent changes in the work of the intestines (constipation, diarrhea) and the detection of traces of blood in the feces should alert you and make you immediately seek medical attention.

At later stages of tumor development, patients also have a feeling of incomplete emptying and heaviness in the intestine. Also, an anxiety sign that requires compulsory treatment to a specialist may be pain during defecation, false desires for it, and, of course, pain in the rectum.

When is the most likely development of colorectal cancer

There are risk factors in which the development of cancer is most likely. It:

• Ulcerative colitis (presence of inflammation and ulcers of the intestine);
• Congenital family polyposis (with it polyps are formed on the lining of the large intestine);
• Love of fatty foods (regular consumption of foods with a high fat content, but poor in fiber).

Do not wait until the symptoms of cancer become absolutely certain! As a rule, this occurs in the late stages of the disease. Do not risk and be healthy!