How To Diagnose Colon Cancer

With the increase in medical technology, current clinical diagnostic methods for colorectal cancer increases, including the following manner:

1. X-ray examination including complete gastrointestinal barium meal and barium enema. In colon cancer patients with a barium enema is right. For smaller lesions can also be found in the intestinal gas injection to gas double contrast barium, check either.

2. Colonoscopy

Sigmoidoscopy: straight type, up to 30 cm, easy to examine, biopsy can be performed with direct vision, suitable for checking the following sections of the sigmoid lesions.

Colonoscopy: 120-180 cm long, can be bent, can be observed throughout the intestine, to make electricity, coagulation and biopsy can detect early lesions. It is difficult to diagnose the current state examination can be used for this check.

3. Ultrasound, CT scans: Relationship location, size, and relationship to surrounding tissue, lymph nodes and liver metastases determine the specific figures.

4. CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been measured generally, bowel cancer is the most important examination of colon cancer. Generally considered to evaluate the therapeutic effect and prognosis valuable and sustainable. Determination of serum CEA can be used to observe the effects of surgery or chemotherapy.

If the patient has been diagnosed with cancer, doctors must determine the stage of colon cancer. Doctors need to conduct additional tests to determine the stage of cancer. Knowing the stage of the cancer, it is important to determine the best method of treatment.

Stage 0: The cancer at an early stage, cancer cells are only in the innermost lining of the intestine.
Stage I: Cancer invades many areas of the intestinal wall.
Stage II: Colon cancer has spread beyond the scope of the surrounding tissue, but does not spread to the lymph nodes.
Stage III: Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, but has not spread to other parts of the body.
Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other body parts. The large intestine is easy to spread to the liver and lungs