Adenocarcinoma of the intestine

Intestinal adenocarcinoma is a lesion of the tissues of the intestinal tract organs by a malignant tumor consisting of glandular epithelial cells.

This type of cancer is dangerous because the tumor grows quite slowly, symptoms do not appear immediately and they are quite typical for many other, less dangerous diseases, which makes diagnosis difficult.

All intestinal organs may be susceptible to the disease. Metastases usually penetrate into the lymph nodes located near the focus, into the lungs, into the liver. The blood carries diseased cells to other tissues and organs, new, multiple tumors are formed.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Causes of intestinal adenocarcinoma

Unfortunately, there are a huge number of reasons for the development of a disease such as intestinal adenocarcinoma, all of them are quite commonplace and mainly depend on the lifestyle and preferences of the person.

Perhaps the most influential factor in the development of intestinal adenocarcinoma is nutrition. Passion for fatty foods, sweets, lack of vegetables and fruits, cereals in the menu, the predominance of meat dishes and alcohol abuse entail dire consequences not only for the intestines, but also for the entire digestive tract.

Constipation is also both one of the causes of the disease and one of the first symptoms of intestinal adenocarcinoma, so if it occurs, it is better not to self-medicate and immediately consult a doctor.

According to statistics, intestinal adenocarcinoma in most cases is a disease of people over 50 years of age, so old age can also be attributed to the causes of the disease.

Intestinal adenocarcinoma can develop from the most common inflammations of the intestinal organs, from colitis and polyps, if they are not treated in a timely manner. Therefore, you should not neglect even the most innocent diseases and react to minor symptoms of their manifestations, in the future this can save your life.

And, of course, one of the most important reasons for the occurrence of intestinal adenocarcinoma is genetic predisposition.

[ 3 ], [ 4 ]

Symptoms of intestinal adenocarcinoma

In the early stages, intestinal adenocarcinoma lacks clear symptoms; they are generally characteristic of most diseases of the digestive system:

• stomach ache,
• lack of appetite, which leads to significant weight loss,
• constipation, occasionally alternating with diarrhea,
• bloating, gas,
• the appearance of bloody discharge in the stool,
• the appearance of mucus and pus in the feces.

Over time, all these symptoms only worsen, intestinal adenocarcinoma increases and during examination it can already be detected by palpation through the abdominal wall. The growth of the tumor causes intestinal obstruction, which in turn increases pain, nausea and vomiting appear.

Colon adenocarcinoma

Colon adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor consisting of epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa.

There are 2 types of tumors:

• endophytic - arising on the inner wall of the intestine
• exophytic - arising on the outer lining of the intestine.

Exophytic tumors are more easily palpated through the abdominal wall, while endophytic tumors, when developing, always cause such a complication as intestinal obstruction.

In the initial stage, adenocarcinoma of the colon is a rather mobile, soft, but dense tumor. Most often, it has a round or oval shape.

[ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ]

Diagnosis of intestinal adenocarcinoma

Intestinal adenocarcinoma is a disease of the elderly, but of course there are exceptions. People over 40 are at risk of developing the disease, so to prevent it, you need to undergo regular examinations, and not just if any symptoms are detected.

The following methods are used to diagnose the disease:

• stool analysis to detect blood and examine its components;
• general blood test;
• colonoscopy - examination of the intestines using special equipment with a video camera;
• Ultrasound of the pelvis, abdomen and endorectal ultrasound;
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computed tomography).

Usually, several of these studies are enough, but for a complete picture, for better localization of the tumor and for detection of inflammation, it is recommended to undergo all these tests, and in the end you need to do a biopsy. Biopsy is taking a piece of tumor tissue for examination to determine the nature of the tumor, its malignancy and consistency.

[ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ]

Treatment of intestinal adenocarcinoma

Intestinal adenocarcinoma is treatable in the early stages and can achieve long-term results and sometimes even complete cure.

There are several treatment options, but they are often used in combination. These include surgery to remove the tumor and areas affected by metastases, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Bowel surgery is very complicated, because you need to be careful with the tumor, not to damage it, so that the tumor cells do not spread to other tissues with the blood flow. In addition, it is necessary to completely remove the tissues affected by metastases.

Before the operation, radiation can be done, especially in cases where a large area of the intestine is affected, due to radiation a large number of malignant cells die. It is not recommended to use radiation therapy alone as a treatment, since without surgical intervention it will not be able to destroy absolutely all cancer cells.

In addition to the above-mentioned methods of therapy, chemotherapy is quite effective, but also in combination with surgical removal of the tumor. Most often it is prescribed after surgery, to consolidate the result and prevent recurrence of the disease.

Prevention of intestinal adenocarcinoma

Intestinal adenocarcinoma is by its nature a reaction of the body to an unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, the best prevention is to give up bad habits: smoking, drinking alcohol, fatty foods, processed foods.

It is not necessary to stick to a strict diet, but for the sake of your health you need to diversify your diet, eat more plant foods, vegetables and fruits. Add cereals and whole grain porridges to your menu, limit meat consumption, it is better to choose dietary, which is easily digestible. You need to be careful with sweets, it is better to avoid them and replace them with cottage cheese, nuts, dried fruits. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.

You need to eat 4-5 times a day, in small portions, try to eat at the same time to develop a system, so it will be easier for the body to adjust its work.

Prognosis of intestinal adenocarcinoma

With intestinal adenocarcinoma, the prognosis for recovery is not very high, more often the disease is not completely cured, but retreats for a while thanks to therapy. Basically, relapses occur 3-5 years after treatment, so this period is considered critical.

Of course, the successful outcome for the patient depends on the stage at which intestinal adenocarcinoma was detected. If the stage is early and all the affected tissue of the organ is removed, then according to statistics, about 90 percent of such cases end in complete recovery. But unfortunately, in most cases, the diagnosis is made late, when the tissues are deeply affected and there are already metastases in the lymph nodes and other organs, and treatment only temporarily postpones the fatal outcome and slightly alleviates the patient's suffering.