Intestinal cancer

Disease description

Intestinal cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the sections of the small or large intestine. Among men, this pathology is more common than among women and ranks second in prevalence after lung cancer.

Cancer of the small intestine is diagnosed much less frequently. The majority of oncological intestinal diseases are colon cancer, or colorectal cancer. Nearly half of all colon tumor cases occur between the ages of 60 and 70.

Symptoms that indicate the need for diagnosis and treatment

The clinical manifestations of intestinal cancer depend on the localization, size, and stage of the malignant process. Specific symptoms appear only at later stages, while at the early stage the disease is difficult to diagnose.

Main signs of intestinal cancer:

• Weakness, fatigue, poor appetite, unexplained weight loss
• Unstable stool (diarrhea alternating with constipation)
• Presence of blood in stool
• Abdominal pain (usually dull in nature)

For small intestine cancer, additional characteristic features include dyspeptic (digestive) disorders: belching, heartburn, bloating, heaviness after eating.

Diagnosis and treatment methods

Diagnosis

• Laboratory tests: blood, urine, coprogram, fecal occult blood test, tumor marker test
• To diagnose small intestine cancer, EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) is used; for large intestine cancer — colonoscopy or irrigoscopy. In modern global clinics, these procedures are performed under sedation, which significantly simplifies their implementation for both patients and doctors
• Ultrasound (US)
• CT, MRI

Treatment

Surgical treatment at early stages allows for complete tumor removal, restoration of intestinal function, and prevention of recurrence in 95% of cases.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often combined with surgical methods. In the case of intestinal cancer, a comprehensive treatment approach is considered the most effective. These methods may also be used independently for inoperable tumors to slow the growth of cancer cells and metastases.

Highly qualified oncological surgeons in Europe use an advanced method of treatment for bowel cancer — hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The procedure is performed during surgery and involves the administration of a chemotherapeutic agent directly to the tumor site.

Innovations in global clinics

In the USA, a new artificial intelligence-based program called CAD EYE has been developed to help detect polyps and cancerous tumors during endoscopy. When a suspicious lesion is identified on the intestinal mucosa, visual and auditory alerts are triggered. The system is activated via buttons on the endoscope handle.