Medical experts talk about science | Is blood in stool caused by hemorrhoids? Who is the "killer" behind hemorrhoids?

| The picture comes from the Internet

In daily life, almost everyone of us has experienced blood in the stool, which is often bright red, sometimes in large quantities, in the form of sprays or drips of blood. Most of the time, it is not accompanied by anal pain. After a few consecutive days, the blood in the stool disappears naturally. It is often self-diagnosed as "hemorrhoids", and a simple visit to a pharmacy or non-professional clinic is enough. It is considered complete with anal suppositories. When encountering a high-probability event, that is, hemorrhoids, the diagnosis is relatively "accurate", and there will not be any major problems, and it will not lead to serious consequences. However, some patients with blood in the stool may not be so "lucky". They often delay and lose the "killer" hidden behind the blood in the stool - the early diagnosis and best treatment time of colorectal cancer because of self-diagnosis as "hemorrhoids". In severe cases, the "killer" will take their lives! So how do you distinguish between hemorrhoids and rectal cancer, two completely different diseases? The following is a more detailed description of the characteristics of these two diseases, so that people can have a full understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer and pay serious attention to it.

| Epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations and diagnostic methods of colorectal cancer in my country

At present, the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in my country are soaring, ranking among the top five solid tumors. The incidence rate is high in young people (less than 35 years old), which seriously threatens the lives and health of Chinese people. Although countries around the world have invested a lot of money to explore the causes of colorectal cancer, the results are very limited and unsatisfactory. Despite this, researchers have found some factors closely related to the onset of colorectal cancer among the many factors surrounding colorectal cancer, such as bad eating habits, excessive mental stress and benign intestinal polyps, which has brought hope for the primary (cause) prevention of colorectal cancer. In addition to etiological prevention, the more important, feasible and effective method is the early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer (secondary prevention), which can significantly reduce the mortality rate of colorectal cancer and improve the prognosis of patients.

| Characteristics of blood in stool in patients with colorectal cancer compared with hemorrhoids

1. Continuous or intermittent blood in the stool, the color of the blood can be bright red or dark red, and can be mixed with the stool;

2. Changes in bowel habits, such as increased bowel movement, frequent urge to defecate, or a feeling of incomplete defecation, and sometimes mucus in the stool;

3. May experience abdominal discomfort, anorexia, fatigue and weight loss;

4. Those who are over 45 years old and have a history of intestinal tumors in their immediate family members.

| Diagnostic Methods

1. Medical history collection and digital rectal examination: Medical history collection can identify suspicious patients; digital rectal examination is the simplest, most economical and most practical diagnostic method, and the diagnosis rate of mid- and low-position rectal cancer can be as high as more than 70%;

2. Colonoscopy: Colonoscopy can not only detect colorectal cancer at an early stage, but also take biopsy samples of tumors under endoscopy for pathological examination to confirm the nature of the tumors. It can also detect multiple primary cancers, which plays a decisive role in the choice of treatment methods.

| Treatment principles and methods

1. Treatment principles: comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main approach.

2. Depending on the patient's specific situation, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery and traditional open surgery can be selected; based on preoperative evaluation and postoperative pathological staging, regular follow-up or adjuvant chemotherapy and/or combined radiotherapy can be used to reduce the recurrence rate and prolong survival. If necessary, immunosuppressants and targeted drugs can be added to consolidate the treatment effect.

Author | Liu Tongjun

Director of the General Surgery Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Second Hospital of Jilin University, professor and doctoral supervisor. National expert. Outstanding innovative talent in Jilin Province. Director of the General Surgery Medical Quality Control Center of Jilin Province. Currently serving as a standing member of the Anorectal Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, chairman of the Anorectal Physicians Branch of the Jilin Provincial Medical Doctor Association, and chairman of the General Surgery Disease Professional Committee of the Jilin Provincial Rehabilitation Medicine Association. Won the second and third prizes of Jilin Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.

| Discipline Introduction

The General Surgery Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Second Hospital of Jilin University consists of 6 sub-specialties, including hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, gastrointestinal nutrition and hernia, colorectal anus, thyroid, breast and vascular surgery. It is now a national key clinical specialty construction project unit, a laparoscopic surgeon training base of the Chinese Medical Association, a standardized training base for general surgery residents of the Chinese Medical Association, a pilot general surgery specialty training base of the Chinese Medical Association, and a China County/County Hospital Tumor Minimally Invasive Technology Promotion Project-Jilin Province Base. It is also a key specialty of Jilin Province, a key laboratory of Jilin Province, the director unit of the Jilin Provincial General Surgery Medical Quality Control Center, and the chairman unit of the General Surgery Physician Branch and the Anorectal Physician Branch of the Jilin Provincial Medical Association. Each sub-specialty has carried out highly difficult 2D or 3D laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, radical gastrectomy, anus-preserving surgery for colon cancer and ultra-low rectal cancer, minimally invasive thyroid surgery without neck incision, breast preservation and breast reconstruction surgery, and minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities. Its surgical procedures and techniques are leading in China, and some have reached international standards.