Rectal Cancer Information
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Information on Rectal Cancer
Rectal cancer is cancer that forms in the tissues of the rectum. The rectum is part of the body’s gastrointestinal (digestive) system. The digestive system removes water and nutrients from food and helps pass waste material out of the body.
The digestive system is made up of the esophagus, stomach, and the small and large intestines. The rectum is the last several inches of the large intestine. When cells that line the rectum become abnormal and grow out of control, a cancerous tumor forms.
Found most often in men and women over the age of 50, rectal cancer is among the most common cancers in the United States. It can also occur in younger people, though very rarely in teenagers. Smoking has been linked to rectal cancer, as have diets that are high in fat and low in fiber. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a low-fat/high fiber diet is crucial for prevention, particularly if your family has a history of rectal cancer.
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we offer conventional rectal cancer treatments, along with complementary medicine therapies, to help you fight rectal cancer on all fronts. Some of our conventional rectal cancer treatment options include:
- Surgery – often performed to remove tumors of the rectum. Even if the cancer has spread to other areas beyond the rectum, surgery may be used to help prevent future complications such as bleeding or bowel blockage.
- Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy – allows high doses of chemotherapy to be delivered directly to recurrent rectal cancer tumors.
- Fractionated Dose Chemotherapy – divides a powerful dose of chemotherapy drugs into smaller doses that are given over several days, instead of a large, single dose. This innovative delivery method may expose cancer cells to the drugs for a longer period of time, while also seeking to reduce the unpleasant side effects often experienced with traditional chemotherapy treatments for rectal cancer.
In addition to the conventional rectal cancer therapies described above, CTCA enriches your rectal cancer treatment by offering complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, such as naturopathic medicine, nutrition therapy, physical therapy, mind-body medicine, spiritual counseling, and even image enhancement.
When used alongside conventional rectal cancer treatments, complementary therapies may help to reduce treatment-related side effects, improve your overall quality of life, and more. This integrative approach to rectal cancer treatment focuses not only on the disease, but on the patient as a unique, whole individual.
Additional Rectal Cancer Information
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