Anal cancer usually appears after the age of 60. Unfortunately, its symptoms can be easily overlooked. Some patients also confuse them with hemorrhoids. One of the Czech doctors points out what should worry us. If you notice these symptoms, do not hesitate and be sure to consult a specialist.
- Anal cancer most often occurs in people over 60. This risk increases with heavy smokers and those who have frequent anal intercourse with a large number of partners.
- The first symptoms of anal cancer may be confusingly similar to those caused by hemorrhoids
- Dr. Vitek from Prague also warns not to underestimate symptoms such as frequent loose stools, itching around the anus or blood in the stool.
- Remember that the sooner an accurate diagnosis is made, the greater the chances of a complete recovery
- You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page
Anal cancer causes
As we mentioned at the beginning, anal cancer most often occurs in people over the age of 60. The risk of developing the disease increases in patients who are addicted to smoking or who frequently have anal intercourse with a large number of partners. The most common cancer in this area is squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. It is mostly caused by oncogenic types of HPV.
Anal cancer symptoms
Unfortunately, rectal cancer is often confused with hemorrhoids, among others. Patients can ignore their symptoms for months. Rectal bleeding is the most common of these. You can also often see fresh blood in your stools.
Dr. Pavel Vitek, a leading radiotherapy oncologist at the Proton Therapy Center in Prague, in an interview with The Sun, highlights other symptoms of anal cancer that we should not ignore. Some of them are:
- passing loose stools more frequently
- pain during bowel movements,
- painful pressure,
- itching around the anus
- foreign body sensation in the anus,
- enlarged inguinal lymph nodes,
- mucous discharge in the stool
- gas incontinence,
- a finger palpable lump.
If you notice any of the above symptoms, you should contact your GP immediately. Remember that the sooner you spot cancer, the greater your chance of recovery.
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Anal cancer treatment
If your doctor suspects you have this type of cancer, he or she should do a rectal examination, which is a finger exam through the rectum. The next step is anoscopy, i.e. an endoscopic examination with the collection of specimens for histopathological examination. It may also happen that your doctor will refer you for endoscopic examination of the entire colon and ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.
What happens if the diagnosis is confirmed? Typically, doctors then decide to undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, a new study by Dr. Vitka has shown that proton beam therapy is an effective treatment method with reduced side effects. As many as 92 percent. of patients had complete regression. Moreover, a stoma had to be created for a small number of them.
“Proton beam therapy allows us to target tumors without disturbing healthy tissue, which often leads to better health benefits for patients,” argues Dr. Vitek. “The study also showed that it can help reduce acute toxicity and the need for a colostomy, which in turn improves patients’ quality of life after treatment,” adds the specialist.