How long can you live with rectal cancer?

The most common cancer is rectal tumor. In recent years, more and more people have been suffering from cancer, especially intestinal cancer. However, at present, there is no specific medicine to treat rectal tumors. If the rectal tumor is treated well in the early stage, the survival rate is still relatively long. Therefore, when we find that we have rectal tumors, we must go to the hospital for treatment in time, so that we can live longer.

There are no symptoms in the early stages of rectal cancer. As the lesions continue to expand, possible symptoms include: bleeding during bowel movements, changes in bowel habits, thinner stools, unexplained abdominal pain or colic, persistent urge to defecate, iron deficiency anemia or weight loss. People with these symptoms should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The high-incidence age for rectal cancer is over 50 years old, and people with inflammatory bowel disease, a family history of colorectal cancer, or familial polyposis are also at a high risk of developing rectal cancer. In addition, a high-fat and low-fiber diet, lack of exercise, being overweight, and drinking too much are also important factors that lead to rectal cancer.

In general, the survival rate after rectal cancer surgery is good, which mainly depends on the pathological classification and the invasion of surrounding tissues, whether the treatment method is appropriate, the patient's own physical condition and even mentality. The overall 5-year survival rate of rectal cancer is approximately 65.2%. The 5-year survival rates of each stage are as follows: Stage 0: 93.2%, Stage I: 91.4%, Stage II: 76.4%, Stage III: 58%, and Stage IV: 14.6%. As long as you receive the right treatment and actively cooperate with your doctor, it is possible to prolong your life or even cure the disease.

Cancer is a systemic disease. Surgery can only remove visible lesions, but there may still be residual cancer or regional lymph nodes. Since surgery damages the body's vital energy, the chance of recurrence and metastasis is very high. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy drugs are highly toxic and cannot kill all cancer cells. They can only kill cancer cells in proportion. If the patient is weak and has low immunity, the remaining cancer cells will grow rapidly and form new lesions. In this case, it is recommended that patients use conservative treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and slowly regulate their body through Chinese medicine. In addition, patients can eat more high-fiber foods in their daily diet, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and carrots, and do moderate exercise to increase their own resistance.