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Dr Venkat About Colorectal Cancer
Dr Venkat About Colorectal Cancer
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Colorectal Cancer Treatment
Colorectal cancer is said to occur when the cells of the colon or rectum become malignant and grow out of control. Colorectal cancer is also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer. Colorectal cancer usually begins as benign polyps in the colon or the rectum that become malignant over time.
Factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer:
As with most cancers, it is hard to pinpoint what causes cancer. Here are some of the factors that increase the risk of hepatobiliary cancer:
- A family history of colorectal cancer.
- Old age.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Diabetes.
- Smoking & alcohol consumption.
- Chronic ulcer.
Colorectal cancer is characterised by the following symptoms:
Unexplained loss of weight
Severe abdominal pain
Rectal bleeding
A change in regular bowel movements, such as continuous diarrhoea or constipation.
Blood in the stool
Excessive tiredness
It is important to note that these symptoms do not necessarily point to cancer at all times. Please make an appointment with us if you have any of the above symptoms so we can give you a correct diagnosis.
At Veritas Cancer Care, we employ the latest tests to arrive at a suitable prognosis and formulate a specialised treatment plan based on your needs. We have several methods of diagnosis.
Biopsy
Biopsy methods are dependent on the type of cancer. During the biopsy, your surgeon removes a small amount of abnormal tissue from the area suspected of housing the cancer cells. A pathologist then examines this under a microscope and draws conclusions from it that then inform your treatment and eliminate the treatments that would not work on your type of cancer.
Colonoscopy
Your doctor will insert a colonoscope (a thin tube with a camera on top) to look at the areas where cancer seems most prevalent. The endoscope is inserted through the rectum and is used to look for changes or irregularities in the colon or rectum.
Diagnostic imaging
This includes taking scans such as CT scans, PET scans, MRIs and ultrasounds. Using these scans, your doctor can advice a treatment plan that would help you.
- Positron emission tomography (PET)/CT: You receive an injection of a small amount of a radioactive substance, which is taken up by cancer cells. A special scanner creates images that show the highlighted areas to provide details about cancer, especially where it has spread.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI scan uses radio waves and strong magnets to create cross-sectional pictures of your body. We use MRI to examine tumors more closely and check for signs that cancer has spread.
- Computed tomography (CT): These scans use special X-ray equipment to create cross-sectional images inside your pelvic area. CT scans can show the size of tumors and whether cancer has spread.
Blood tests
Colorectal cancer patients are often anaemic, so blood tests could help the diagnosis. A test to detect the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) may also be helpful as high levels of CEA often points to colorectal cancer.
Molecular testing
Molecular testing is a lab procedure done using a sample of tissue, blood or other body fluids to test for genes, molecules or other molecules to detect the presence of cancer. In a few cases of colorectal cancer, your doctor may ask you to submit to a few molecular tests such as NRAS/KRAS/MMR/HER2/BRAF/PDL1.
Colorectal cancers can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy. While the primary goal is curing cancer, preserving the surrounding organs and tissues is of utmost importance.
The various treatments options for colorectal cancer include:
Regaining the quality of life of a patient recovering from colorectal cancer can be challenging. At Veritas Cancer Care, we aim to provide our patients with the utmost care and comfort they need during their treatment and remission and improve their quality of life as much as possible. Our team here is dedicated to our patients and, while cancer is a daunting illness, we provide you with all the help and hope you need to recover.
The oncological team at Veritas Cancer Care is headed by Dr Venkat P, a highly-trained surgical oncologist and robotic surgeon, with niche expertise in treating colorectal malignancies. With over 22 years of experience, he has managed around 25,000 oncological cases and performed over 20,000 surgeries.
Being one of the very few surgeons in the country highly trained in robotic surgery, Dr Venkat P successfully performed Robotic transanal excision of rectal tumor with no scar and same-day discharge. He is also experienced in the management of various high-risk complex cases involving multi-organ resection. At Veritas, we guarantee you will receive prompt care and treatment in his safe and experienced hands.
Veritas Cancer Care is also one of the few cancer teams in Chennai to use the latest methods in colorectal cancer treatment. Headed by Dr Venkat P, we guarantee you will receive prompt care and treatment in his safe and experienced hands.
