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Co­lon and rec­tal can­cer

Co­lon and rec­tal can­cer is one of the most com­mon di­sea­ses of the in­te­sti­ne, which is the lar­gest in­ter­nal or­gan - di­vi­ded into the lar­ge, small and rec­tum - and ex­tends around 8 me­tres through the hu­man body.
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In Switzerland, around 4300 people are diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer every year. That is just under 11% of all cancers. This makes colon and rectal cancer the third most common type of cancer. A personalised treatment plan is drawn up for each patient.

The complex treatment of colon and rectal tumours requires close cooperation between different specialities. The Colorectal Cancer Centre at the Claraspital offers everything related to this disease under one roof: All stages of treatment, from investigations to pre-treatment, surgery and any follow-up treatment through to aftercare, can be carried out at the Claraspital.

Risk fac­tors

The risk of bowel cancer is increased in the following situations:

  • Familial risk: the risk of disease is increased in hereditary non-polyposis colon carcinoma syndrome (HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
  • Colon cancer (or colon polyps) in parents or siblings
  • Previously discovered and removed intestinal polyps
  • Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease

Sym­ptoms

Colon and rectal cancer often causes no recognisable symptoms for a long time. Symptoms that can occur are

  • Changed bowel habits, e.g. sudden onset of diarrhoea and/or constipation or alternation between diarrhoea and constipation
  • Urge to defecate without voiding
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Blood in the stool or on the stool. The stool may be red or black in colour as a result
  • Bleeding in the rectum (rectal bleeding)
  • Slimy stools
  • New and persistent abdominal pain, flatulence, loss of appetite and energy

 

However, as there are also tumours that grow for a long time without symptoms, screening is important. The risk of bowel cancer increases from the end of your forties onwards, so screening with a colonoscopy is recommended from the age of 50 - even if there are no symptoms.

However, if there are specific symptoms, colon or rectal cancer should also be considered before the age of 50 and ruled out by means of a colonoscopy, as there has been a significant increase in cases in the last 10 years, particularly in the under-50 age group

Cau­ses

The causes of colon or rectal cancer cancer are not yet known. Around 90 per cent of all bowel cancers develop from benign growths of the intestinal mucosa, the intestinal polyps (adenomas).

Dia­gno­sis

A colonoscopy is performed for diagnosis. During this examination, the doctor inserts an instrument with a camera into the bowel. This allows the bowel to be viewed from the inside. Specialised instruments can be used to take tissue samples. The examination of the tissue samples provides information on whether or not cancer is present.

The­ra­py

The treatment of colon and rectal cancer is planned individually. The location, size and type of tumour, the spread of the colon cancer and other factors are decisive for the treatment. The main treatment methods for colon and rectal cancer are

  • Surgery: usually minimally invasive robot-assisted procedures
  • Drug therapies: Chemotherapy, antibody therapies,
  • radiotherapy