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Chinanews.com, Shanghai News, June 30 (Li Qiuying, Zhou Sunyu) Data show that the overall incidence of colorectal cancer and gastric cancer in China ranks second and fourth among human malignant tumors, and the number of deaths ranks fourth and third among all malignant tumors. With the improvement of national living standards, the acceleration of the pace of life and the change of dietary habits, the incidence of malignant tumors of the digestive tract has gradually increased, and the incidence group is gradually younger and has a higher mortality level, which has become one of the main diseases affecting the life expectancy and quality of life of the people, seriously threatening the life and health of the people, and bringing a heavy economic and social burden.
Hou Xiaojia, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, specializes in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of early cancer and precancerous lesions of the digestive tract. He said that early cancer screening and endoscopic treatment of precancerous lesions of gastrointestinal malignant tumors are the most important means to prevent the onset of gastrointestinal malignant tumors and improve life treatment.
The following is the full text of the Q&A:
A brief introduction to gastrointestinal malignancies?
Malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract mainly include gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, etc., which originate from the mucosal layer or submucosal layer of the gastrointestinal tract and infiltrate into surrounding tissues and organs. These malignant tumors are highly aggressive and easy to metastasize, which seriously threatens people's lives and health.
What are the causes of gastrointestinal malignancies?
Genetic factors
Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal malignancies, and certain genetic mutations or familial inheritance may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. For example, familial adenomatous polyposis is an autosomal dominant disorder in which patients carry mutations in the APC gene that predispose to colorectal cancer. Regular colonoscopies are recommended to monitor lesion progression.
Eating habits
A high-fat, high-calorie, low-fiber diet may lead to an imbalance in the gut microbiota and promote the production of carcinogens, which in turn increases the risk of colorectal cancer. and processed foods such as pickled and smoked, which are easy to induce gastrointestinal malignant tumors. Improving your diet, such as increasing your intake of vegetables and fruits, can help reduce your risk of colorectal cancer.
lifestyle
Smoking and alcohol consumption are important causes of gastrointestinal malignancy. Being sedentary and inactive may contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome, which are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Promoting a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, moderate exercise, and adequate sleep, can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
environmental pollution
Chemical contaminants in the environment, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, can damage DNA and increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Reducing exposure to harmful substances in the environment is an important means of preventing colorectal cancer, which can be achieved by wearing masks, using air purifiers, etc.
Long-term inflammatory bowel disease
Chronic inflammation can lead to damage to mucosal epithelial cells, increasing the likelihood of colorectal cancer. For patients with long-term inflammatory bowel disease, the disease activity should be actively controlled, such as taking drugs such as mesalazine tablets and osalaqin sodium capsules as prescribed by the doctor to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
What are the early symptoms of gastrointestinal malignancy?
The early symptoms of gastrointestinal malignancy are not obvious and are easy to be ignored. However, some common symptoms are still worth paying attention to:
Loss of appetite: Manifested by loss of appetite and reduced amount of food eaten.
Weight loss: weight loss without obvious triggers may be a sign of malignancy.
Abdominal discomfort: manifested by abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and other symptoms, which may be related to the infiltration of malignant tumors.
Gastrointestinal bleeding: manifested by symptoms such as hematemesis and melena, which may be related to the rupture of malignant tumors.
What are the precancerous lesions of the gastrointestinal tract?
It mainly includes gastrointestinal polyps, atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, intraepithelial neoplasia, long-lasting peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, and some special gastrointestinal tumors, such as stromal tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, leiomyomas, etc.
Who needs to be screened for early gastrointestinal cancer?
Age greater than 40 years old, family history of gastrointestinal malignancy and precancerous lesions, long-term smoking and alcohol consumption, gastrointestinal alarm symptoms, such as hematemesis and melena or bloody stool, positive fecal occult blood, recurrent abdominal pain, loss of appetite, recent significant weight loss, previous history of gastrointestinal precancerous lesions, and recent tumor markers continue to rise.
What are the screening and treatment options for early cancer of the gastrointestinal tract?
Gastrointestinal endoscopy: Gastrointestinal endoscopy is the preferred method for diagnosing gastrointestinal malignant tumors, which can directly observe the lesions of the gastrointestinal mucosa and take biopsy for pathological diagnosis.
Fecal occult blood test: Detection of occult blood in the stool to determine the presence of gastrointestinal bleeding is of great significance for screening for gastrointestinal malignancies.
The detection of tumor markers in the digestive tract system, with low specificity and sensitivity in the early stage, can be used as a non-invasive examination before gastrointestinal endoscopy, and if elevated, it may indicate that there may be a digestive tract tumor.
Blood gastrin and pepsinogen I/II detection, etc., abnormal indicators indicate the possibility of atrophic gastritis or early cancer, which requires further gastroscopy, and combined detection with gastroscopy and fecal occult blood test can help improve the detection rate of early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.
What are the preventive measures for gastrointestinal malignancies?
Preventive measures for gastrointestinal malignancies mainly include the following:
Balanced diet: Maintain a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean meat and other foods, and eat less high-fat and high-calorie foods such as fried and barbecued.
Moderate exercise: Regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc., can enhance the body's immunity and improve gastrointestinal function.
Regular physical examination: Regular physical examination is the key to improving the survival rate by timely detection of gastrointestinal lesions, and early treatment.
Quit smoking and limit alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are important causes of gastrointestinal malignancy and should be avoided as much as possible.
Active treatment of gastrointestinal diseases: For gastrointestinal diseases such as chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers, active treatment should be carried out to prevent the condition from worsening.
What are the treatment options for gastrointestinal malignancies?
Early detection and early treatment are the keys to improving the survival rate and quality of life of patients. Endoscopic resection of early gastrointestinal cancer and precancerous lesions is currently the first choice for treatment, which has the advantages of small trauma, low risk, fast postoperative recovery, no change in the structure of the digestive tract, and high postoperative quality of life of patients. Studies have shown that endoscopic resection of early-stage malignancies involving the superficial gastrointestinal tract (mucosal and superficial submucosa) is comparable to surgical survival with five-year survival.
In conclusion, gastrointestinal malignancy is one of the important diseases that threaten national health, and understanding its causes, early symptoms, examination methods and preventive measures is essential to maintain our health. Let's start with ourselves, develop good living habits and eating habits, and conduct regular physical examinations and screenings to jointly resist the invasion of gastrointestinal malignant tumors.
Editor: Zhou Sunyu