The gastrointestinal tract is an important organ in the digestive system. When food enters, it is broken down, digested, and absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, providing the body with sufficient nutrients to ensure the functional activities of various organs. It plays a crucial role in human health. However, it is also very sensitive; diet, sleep, and even emotions can affect it, making it prone to problems.
Statistics show that there are as many as 120 million patients with gastrointestinal diseases in China. Moreover, there are many types of gastrointestinal diseases, including intestinal polyps, chronic enteritis, colitis, gastric polyps, chronic gastritis, gastric antritis, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, and so on.
Which gastrointestinal diseases are prone to cancer?
What signals does the body give before gastrointestinal diseases become cancerous?
These gastrointestinal diseases may develop into cancer.
Three types of gastric diseases are prone to cancer.
Nearly half of the world's stomach cancer cases occur in China, with an average of one person diagnosed every minute and someone dying from stomach cancer every two minutes. The data is alarming! Stomach cancer does not occur overnight; it is a gradual process. Some neglected gastric diseases are likely to evolve into stomach cancer!
Chronic atrophic gastritis is recognized as a precancerous disease for stomach cancer, but its progression to stomach cancer involves two stages: intestinal metaplasia and atypical hyperplasia.
When the condition further develops into atypical hyperplasia, the cancer transformation rate significantly increases.
Under normal circumstances, our stomach has a protective barrier of mucus that protects the gastric mucosa from the corrosive effects of gastric acid and pepsin. However, when certain factors damage the protective mechanism of the gastric mucosa, leading to damage to the gastric tissue, gastric ulcers may form.
Surveys show that 2%-3% of gastric ulcer patients may develop stomach cancer. Among them, if gastric ulcers are recurrent and the diameter is over 2 centimeters, the likelihood of cancer transformation is even greater.
Gastric polyps are mainly divided into two categories: hyperplastic polyps and adenomatous polyps. Adenomatous polyps are also known as 'precancerous lesions,' with a cancer transformation rate of 10%-30%. If hyperplastic polyps grow larger and are accompanied by symptoms such as indigestion, abdominal pain, or even blood in the stool, the risk of cancer transformation increases significantly. Additionally, if the polyp diameter exceeds 2 centimeters, the risk of turning into a malignant tumor can be as high as 50%!
If any of the above three gastric lesions occur, it is essential to actively treat and follow up to prevent the possibility of cancer transformation.
1. Long-term frequent burping;
2. Blood in stool or black stool;
3. Always having a poor appetite, nausea, and significant weight loss in a short period;
4. Stomach pain, with each episode lasting longer and pain relief medications becoming less effective.
Two types of intestinal diseases are prone to cancer.
In recent years, the incidence of colorectal cancer has rapidly increased, affecting both elderly individuals over 50 and young professionals, with an average of one person dying from colorectal cancer every three minutes!
The following two intestinal issues require heightened vigilance:
The occurrence of cancer is closely related to the long-term stimulation of inflammatory factors.
When chronic colitis recurs and lasts for a long time, it is easy to form polyps during the development of hyperplastic lesions, increasing the likelihood of cancer transformation. If accompanied by ulcers, not only does the patient suffer, but the risk of developing colon cancer is 30 times that of the average person!
Data shows that about 90% of colorectal cancers originate from polyp lesions.
Colonic polyps can be divided into five types: adenomatous polyps, metaplastic polyps, inflammatory polyps, and hamartomatous polyps. Among them, adenomatous polyps are true neoplastic polyps and are a precancerous lesion for colorectal cancer. Additionally, the more polyps there are and the larger their size, the higher the risk of cancer transformation.
Signs of colorectal cancer
1. Changes in bowel habits, which may include frequent constipation or increased frequency of bowel movements with a feeling of incomplete evacuation;
2. Difficulty and pain during bowel movements;
3. Mucus in stool, possibly with fresh blood;
4. Increased flatulence and foul-smelling gas;
5. When a tumor grows to a certain extent and compresses surrounding tissues, it may manifest as abdominal pain, usually dull or cramping, which may not be obvious in the early stages but becomes more pronounced later.
Gastrointestinal polyps are growths on the gastric or intestinal mucosa, which can be described as small lumps or nodules. Due to long-term inflammation and food irritation, they are more likely to undergo cancer transformation.
【High-risk groups for gastrointestinal polyps that are prone to cancer】
1. Long-term upper abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
2. Unexplained weight loss and anemia, with black or tarry stools.
3. X-ray barium meal imaging or CT, ultrasound examinations suspecting changes in the shape of the stomach, esophagus, or duodenum, or local thickening.
4. Patients with a history of ulcer disease, gastric polyps, atrophic gastritis, and other lesions.
5. Individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer or polyp disease.
How to prevent?
In addition to common causes of stomach cancer, the fast-paced lifestyle, severe lack of sleep, irregular diet, and excessive work and psychological stress among young people, along with their indifference to stomach discomfort and neglect of treatment, are major factors leading to an increasing number of young people suffering from stomach cancer.
Early screening is crucial for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer!
Every year, over 80% of gastrointestinal cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. The five-year survival rate for advanced gastrointestinal cancer is below 30%. A series of data reminds us that early screening for gastrointestinal cancer is urgent!
In fact, if gastrointestinal cancer is detected early and treated according to standards, most early-stage gastrointestinal cancers can be cured! Therefore, early examination is vital; we must 'catch' gastrointestinal cancer and fight to protect our stomachs!
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