The cost is too high, diagnosed with cancer at the age of 28! Hangzhou young man collapses and cries bitterly: "indulging" hemorrhoids for several years | patient | young man

At the moment of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, 28 year old Xiaoyu felt like the sky had collapsed.

"I'm still so young, why did I get cancer?" Sitting in the consultation room of Dr. Chen Guiping, the director of the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department at Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiaoyu couldn't help but cover her face and sob.

In China, the incidence rate of colorectal cancer is increasing year by year. According to the latest cancer database from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in China has increased from 388000 in 2015 to 555000 in 2020, rapidly increasing at a rate of 7.4% per year. Moreover, more and more young people like Xiaoyu are being approached by colorectal cancer.

"Genes have loaded the gun, but habits have pulled the trigger..." Director Chen Guiping reminded that to stop colorectal cancer, it is not only necessary to rely on doctors' efforts to turn the tide, but more importantly, to start with some key information in life.

7 days a week, 6 days a week for night snacks

28 year old boy is caught in colorectal cancer

Xiaoyu comes from a wealthy family and is the only child in the family. He has been held in the palm of his hand since childhood and has always lived a carefree life.

As a typical "meat eater", he does not love vegetables and particularly favors barbecue, hot pot, and fried foods. "Others eat three meals a day, but I have at least four meals a day," said Xiaoyu. He has at least six days a week to have late night snacks, barbecue with beer or carbonated drinks, which is his favorite combination.

In the past few years after graduating from college, Xiaoyu's life was indulgent, and he gained weight like blowing a balloon. Moreover, his stomach and intestines began to become "fragile", having to pull several times a day and sometimes even having bloody stools. "It must be hemorrhoids," Xiao Yu thought to himself. "Nine out of ten people have hemorrhoids." He tastes good and doesn't like to move, so it's normal to have hemorrhoids. It's not a big deal. As the frequency of rectal bleeding increased and the stool turned black and particularly sticky, Xiaoyu felt a bit flustered and was taken by his family to the Zhejiang Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for treatment.

After examination, Xiaoyu was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and the lesion was relatively large and close to the anus. For the Gastrointestinal Surgery team of the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, surgical removal of tumor lesions is not difficult, but considering Xiaoyu's age and not yet married and having children, the issue of how to return to life and society after recovery must be considered first.

How to preserve the anus during surgery to protect urinary and sexual function? After discussions among multidisciplinary experts, the Provincial Gastrointestinal Surgery Team has developed a treatment plan for Xiaoyu: first reduce the tumor through neoadjuvant therapy, and then proceed with surgery. Moreover, before treatment, Director Chen Guiping suggested that Xiaoyu freeze his sperm just in case.

In the end, Xiaoyu's surgery was very successful, removing the tumor, preserving the anus, and not affecting urination and sexual function. During the follow-up, Xiaoyu said that he had given up late night snacks, changed his bad habit of not eating vegetables, and gradually started doing some exercise. "I used to be too capricious and squandered my health. This illness can be considered as paying for my indulgence, but the cost is too high."

Beware of hemorrhoids covering up colorectal cancer

It is important to take a look at one's own stool every day

"According to research, some foods can stimulate the intestines and easily induce the occurrence of colon cancer, such as red meat." Director Chen Guiping said that the World Health Organization has classified red meat as a Class 2a carcinogen, so it is necessary to minimize the intake of red meat. In addition, excessive sugar intake and obesity are also high-risk carcinogenic factors.

Wei Xing, Deputy Chief Physician of the Gastroenterology Department of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, stated that it is recommended to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, coarse grains, and other foods rich in dietary fiber to lock in the water in the intestines, making bowel movements smoother and reducing the stimulation of feces on the intestines. In addition, exercise can also promote intestinal peristalsis and aid in defecation.

Colorectal cancer lacks specific symptoms in the early stages and is easily overlooked, so proactive examination is necessary. Dr. Wei Xing suggests that people aged 45 and above should undergo colonoscopy screening, while high-risk individuals should have their screening age advanced to 40 years old. Especially for those with a family history, colonoscopy examination should be conducted 10-15 years earlier than the age of onset for family members.

If there are changes in stool characteristics, such as bloody stools, mucus stools, thinning stools, or changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, etc., one should be vigilant and seek medical attention in a timely manner.

"Hemorrhoids can also have symptoms of rectal bleeding, to the extent that many people tend to preconceive it as hemorrhoids and delay treatment." Dr. Wei Xing said that he once encountered a patient who had rectal bleeding for years and underwent two hemorrhoid surgeries, but the rectal bleeding did not improve until it was finally discovered to be colorectal cancer.

Director Chen Guiping said that hemorrhoids and rectal bleeding are blood dripped from the anus after defecation, with a bright red color; And rectal cancer patients usually have dark red blood in their stools. "Hemorrhoids are the best 'disguisers' of colorectal cancer. If colorectal cancer is combined with hemorrhoids, it is more likely to be misdiagnosed or missed, so digital rectal examination and colonoscopy are very important."