6 Warning Signs of Anal Cancer Nobody Want To Talk About

As we all know, cancer is a disease that is becoming more and more common in modern people and this is the reason why mainstream media and the healthcare community in the last 20 years are paying special attention to this disease.

There are different types of cancer and most of them are known for the aggressive symptoms and high fatality rates. But, it looks like there is one specific type of cancer that has been ignored by everyone for a long time due to the fact that this cancer occurs in an embarrassing location of the body. Obviously, this article will be dedicated to anal cancer.

What Exactly is Anal Cancer?
This is one of the rarest types of cancer that begins at the rectal opening also known as anus.

Unfortunately, this topic is often avoided because of the location where this cancer occurs and because people have prejudices and believe that anal cancer occurs only in cases of poor hygiene and frequent practicing of anal intercourse.

This makes individuals who may notice certain anal cancer symptoms to ignore the problem. They don’t want to talk to other people about this and they even skip visits to the doctor’s office. It is good to mention that anal cancer is not the same as colorectal cancer. Health.

Colorectal cancer has impact on both the rectum and the large intestine. On the other hand, anal cancer is localized just on the rectal opening.

Every year, more than 8000 Americans find out that they have anal cancer and about 12 percent of them will probably die from this disease. About 25% of individuals that have found out that they have anal cancer realize this when the cancer has already affected the lymph nodes and about 10% of all the individuals suffering from anal cancer found out about their problem when the disease affected other surrounding organs.

Even though, this cancer is not common as rectal, colon or colorectal cancer, the statistics shows that the number of individuals with this cancer is growing each year and one of the main reasons for that is the fact that they are not eliminating the symptoms when they occur. Health.

Anal Cancer Symptoms
Even though identifying the presence of anal cancer when it is still forming is crucial, it turns out that it is quite difficult to do this because many anal cancer symptoms don’t occur until it reaches advanced stages. But, with every progress it makes, people have a chance to identify new symptoms. This is a list of some of the most common anal cancer symptoms:

1. Frequent itching in this area
2. Tenderness or pain in the anus
3. Frequent anal bleeding
4. A hardened area or lump close the rectal opening
5. Odd anal discharge
6. Improper bowel movements.

In the majority of cases, the direct cause of this disease remains unidentified. But, there are certain things that can increase the chances of developing anal cancer. Some of these factors are frequent cigarette smoking, recurrent anal irritation and damaged immune system. Health.

The individuals who belong to the category of people with high risk of developing anal cancer are people who have reached 60 years because 8 out of 10 anal cancer patients are people who belong to this age group.

There are many men under the age of 35 who have witnessed the occurrence of this disease, but when it comes to individuals over 50, women are at higher risk.

In case you belong to the demographic that is at higher risk, check the symptoms and analyze the factors that contribute to the emergence of anal cancer. You can also perform anal cancer examination.

Early Detection of Anal Cancer
Anal cancer detection in the early stages will significantly increase your chances to heal this disease. There is more than one efficient technique to identify the presence of anal cancer, starting from X-ray examination to some very invasive techniques. These are some of the frequently used techniques that have proven to be effective:

Anoscopy
Anoscopy is a procedure in which a tiny, tubular instrument known as anoscope is placed inside the anus so the physician can get more precise look about the things that are going on inside. Anoscopy is performed when the doctor has noticed something that is unusual after a digital rectal examination. Health.

Digital Rectal Examination
On the other hand, digital rectal examination is a type of examination in which the doctor uses lubricated gloves and his fingers to touch and check the anal cavity in order to find some hardened areas, lumps or other unusual structures.

In addition, doctors can also use ultrasound, biopsy, CT scans, X-rays, PET scans and MRI scans to determine the presence or absence of anal cancer in the body. But, we must mention that these techniques are linked to many controversies because there are some studies that suggest that they can actually accelerate the progress or even cause cancer. Even though these techniques may be essential for detection of anal cancer, it is the best idea to perform rectal examinations each year although these examinations are not very comfortable.

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7 Early-Warning Signs of Rectum-Cancer Everyone is Too Embarrassed To Talk About

Many anal cancers can be found early in the course of the disease. Early anal cancers often have signs and symptoms that lead people to see a doctor. Unfortunately, some anal cancers may not cause symptoms until they reach an advanced stage. Other anal cancers can cause symptoms like those of diseases other than cancer. This may delay their diagnosis.

Anal cancer is a type of cancer that begins at the opening of the rectum (also known as anus). This unusual form of cancer is overlooked by almost everyone due to the location of the affected area. Most people who have experienced the symptoms of anal cancer do not discuss it with neither their doctor nor the people they know due to embarrassment.

The odds that anal cancer can be found early depend on the location and type of the cancer. Cancers that begin higher up in the anal canal are less likely to cause symptoms and be found early. Anal melanomas tend to spread earlier than other cancers, making it harder to diagnose them early.

Anal cancer should not be confused with colorectal cancer. Whereas colorectal cancer affects the whole large intestine and the rectum, the anal cancer affects only the beginning of the rectum.

Each year, more than 8,000 Americans are diagnosed with anal cancer. It is expected that 1,000 of them will die from it. Statistically, one of every four people who suffer from anal cancer has been diagnosed after the disease has spread to lymph nodes, and one of every ten people has been diagnosed after it has spread to other organs.

Although the cases of anal cancer are not as frequent like the other types of cancer such as colon, rectal, or colorectal cancer, the number of people who suffer from it has grown rapidly in the last decade.

The Symptoms of Anal Cancer!

It is very difficult to detect the presence of anal cancer in its earliest stages because most symptoms are not present during that time. However, as cancer progresses, it usually causes many different symptoms such as:

• Rectal bleeding
• Rectal itching
• A lump or mass at the anal opening
• Pain or a feeling of fullness in the anal area
• Narrowing of stool or other changes in bowel movements
• Abnormal discharge from the anus
• Swollen lymph nodes in the anal or groin areas

Most often these types of symptoms are more likely to be caused by benign (non-cancer) conditions, like hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or anal warts. Still, if you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to have them checked by a doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

The cause of anal cancer remains unclear in most cases, but still, there are many factors that can increase the risk of developing anal cancer, like frequent irritation of the anus, smoking, and a weakened immune system. People who are at higher risk of developing anal cancer are the ones who are older than 60 years. 80 percent of the cases have been detected in people who belong to this category. Men under 35 are at higher risk to develop this uncommon disease when compared women who belong to the same age category. However, after the age of 50, women are at higher risk of developing anal cancer.

How to Detect Anal Cancer Early?

Detecting anal cancer during its early stages is decisive in overcoming it. There are many procedures that can detect the presence of anal cancer. Here are some of them:

• Digital Rectal Exam – The doctor first looks at the outside of the anus to find out whether you have hemorrhoids or fissures. Then, he puts on a latex glove and inserts a lubricated finger into the rectum to search for lumps or any other abnormalities.
• Anoscopy – This is a method when a small, tubular instrument called an anoscope is inserted a few inches into the anus so the doctor can determine whether you have anal fissures, anal polyps, hemorrhoids, infection, or tumors. The doctor will perform this procedure only if he finds something abnormal during the digital rectal exam.
• Biopsies, ultrasounds, x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and PET scans – are all procedures that can be used to detect the presence of anal cancer. However, all of these procedures are surrounded by controversies as a result of many studies which suggest that they either spread or cause cancer.

source: https://www.healthyfoodteam.com/

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