What is Anal Cancer?
It is a rare kind of cancer which tends to occur in your anal canal. Anal canal is basically the short tube positioned at the rectum’s end through which the stool releases the body. Moreover, anal cancer may cause symptoms and signs for example anal pain and rectal bleeding. Usually, patients suffering from anal cancer tend to get treated with the combination of radiation and chemotherapy. Interestingly, such combination increases cure chances, but raises the possibility of side effects.
What are the symptoms of Anal Cancer?
Symptoms include pain in the anus area, anal itching, growth or mass in your anal canal and bleeding from your rectum or anus.
When is the high time to visit a doctor?
In case you notice bleeding in stools or pain in the anus area, visit your doctor as soon as possible.
What are risk factors for Anal Cancer?
Some factors that tend to increase risk to develop anal cancer are:
• Anal sex.
• Older age.
• Smoking.
• Many sexual partners.
• Conditions or drugs that suppress the immune system.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV).
Discuss the complications:
Anal cancer spreads rarely to the distant body parts. However, the ones that metastasize tend to spread to the lungs and liver most commonly.
Anal Cancer Diagnosis
The doctor will question regarding the symptoms of the patient at first. Whereas procedures and tests that are used for diagnosing this particular kind of cancer are:
• Thoroughly examining your rectum and anal canal for abnormalities.
• Taking the sound wave images of the anal canal.
• Visually inspecting the rectum and anal canal.
• Removing a tissue sample for lab testing.
Once, the doctor is confirmed that the patient is suffering from anal cancer, he then works to actually determine whether the cancer has spread or not and its size- the process known as staging. This can help decide your doctor, the suitable treatment for the case. Procedures and tests that are used in cancer staging include:
• Magnetic resonance imaging.
• CT scan.
• Positron emission tomography.
Anal Cancer Treatment
Which treatment is best suitable for the case depends upon numerous factors, such as your preferred treatment, overall health and your cancer stage. Few treatment options for anal cancer are:
• Combined radiation and chemotherapy: the combination of such two treatments improves the cure chances.
• Surgery: the doctors use various procedures for removing the anal cancer typically based on the cancer stage.
What are the Prevention of Anal Cancer
Few lifestyle choices tend to help preventing such kind of cancer.
• Discuss with your doctor regarding HPV vaccination.
• Stop smoking.
• Limit your sexual partners, as having numerous partners tend to raise the risk of HIV and HPV infection.
• Anal intercourse must be strictly avoided as it carries the risk of HIV and HPV infection.
• Always use a condom. Condoms can help you protect from HIV, though cannot protect you from HPV completely.
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By : Natural Health News
