Constipation or changes in bowel habits are common urban diseases. Many people think that just paying attention to diet and eating more vegetables will help relieve the condition. However, if these symptoms appear suddenly and last for a long time, be careful. Gastroenterology and liver specialist Huang Ziqun shared a case with “Sky Post” that a man over 60 years old had just retired and suffered from constipation. After several months of “enduring to death”, he finally found out that the large intestine had been blocked. The cancer cells were clogged, and there was only a few millimeters of space left in the intestine to defecate. The condition deteriorated rapidly in just 3 months, and the man unfortunately passed away. Dr. Huang Ziqun said frankly that as long as a man takes an early action, colorectal cancer can actually be prevented and treated more easily than lung cancer, liver cancer and other cancers.
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The large intestine has only a few millimeters of space left to defecate
Dr. Huang Ziqun, a specialist in gastroenterology and hepatology, said in an interview with “Sky Post” that the 65-year-old man sought medical treatment due to symptoms such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, frequent nausea, and difficulty in defecating. The man said at the time that he had found that his stools were too small a few months ago. A few weeks ago, he had the feeling of “resisting and resisting” when he ate. He only had one stool in 4 to 5 days. It is not good, so I have not paid much attention to these body alarm signals.
When Dr. Huang Ziqun gently tapped the man’s belly, the sound was hollow and loud. After a detailed examination, it turned out that the man’s large intestine had a colorectal cancer tumor over 3 centimeters long. Since the diameter of the general large intestine is only about 2 cm, the large intestine is almost blocked by the tumor, resulting in long-term obstruction of the large intestine, and there is only a few millimeters of space left in the intestine to defecate; what is more regrettable is that the cancer cells have already died. Spread to the liver, lungs and other parts. Although the man underwent surgery to remove the tumor and received chemotherapy, he unfortunately passed away 3 months after the diagnosis.
Doctor: Colon cancer is easier to prevent than liver cancer and lung cancer
Regarding the cause of the man’s illness, Dr. Wong pointed out that the man’s eating habits were no different from ordinary people, but it turned out that his father also had a history of colorectal cancer, and the man himself had always had the habit of smoking. Dr. Huang specifically pointed out that most people think that smoking can only cause lung cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer, etc., but in fact, after the human body ingests harmful substances in tobacco, it will circulate throughout the body with the blood, so the risk of cancer in almost all parts of the body will also increase. increased, including colorectal cancer.
Dr. Huang said frankly that the man was actually “tolerable”, but he missed the golden opportunity for treatment because of this. He pointed out that most colorectal cancer tumors develop from colorectal polyps, and it takes several years for polyps to grow from rice grains to 1 cm as large as a finger. When a polyp deteriorates into colon cancer, its volume increase will also accelerate, from 1 cm to more than 3 cm in just 1 to 2 years. Therefore, the more than 3 cm tumor that caused the man’s “stuck intestine” was estimated to have developed in his body for 5 to 8 years. It is believed that many symptoms appeared during his body, but the man ignored it.
Dr. Huang added that compared with patients with liver cancer and lung cancer who need to undergo large-scale surgery, colorectal cancer is actually a cancer that is easy to prevent and treat if it is detected early through screening. Because if the polyps in the large intestine are removed through colonoscopy during the screening, the possibility of degeneration into colon cancer can be basically cut off. In addition, it takes 5 to 8 years for polyps to degenerate into cancer cells. In fact, patients have enough time Prevent colorectal cancer by getting screened. Therefore, if men can undergo colon screening 3 to 4 years earlier, it is believed that cancer cells still in the polyp stage can be found at that time. As long as they are removed in time, the disease can basically be cured.
From the age of 50, you can be subsidized to participate in the colorectal cancer screening program
According to the cancer statistics of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, there will be 5,087 new cases of colorectal cancer in Hong Kong in 2020, accounting for 14.9% of the new cases in the whole year, and a total of 2,287 deaths, accounting for 15.4%, ranking second in Hong Kong Common and deadly cancer. The government has launched a colorectal cancer screening program since 2016, subsidizing Hong Kong residents aged 50 to 75 without symptoms of colorectal cancer to receive screening every two years in private institutions to prevent cancer. The Department of Health also announced at the end of last year that Hong Kong residents born between 1947 and 1973 are eligible to participate in the colorectal cancer screening program from this year. Therefore, Dr. Huang Ziqun also appealed to those who are eligible to participate in the program to prevent it from happening.
According to the information from the Department of Health, the colorectal cancer screening program does not set a quota for participants, and each consultation is subsidized by the government at 280 yuan, including a second consultation provided by a primary care doctor after a positive stool immunochemical test result; During the basic service of mirror examination, if polyps need to be removed, a fixed subsidy of 8,500 yuan will be received; if no polypectomy is required, a fixed subsidy of 7,800 yuan will be received. Colonoscopy doctors may charge participants an additional fee of not more than $1,000 when providing basic colonoscopy services.
Participants in the program must meet the following qualifications:
- 50 to 75 years old
- Holder of Hong Kong Identity Card or Certificate of Exemption from Registration
- Has joined the Electronic Health Record Sharing System
- Excludes people who have symptoms of colorectal cancer, who have high-risk factors, or who have had colorectal cancer screening or examination within the specified period
- At present, more than 1,030 primary care doctors participate in the program, and about 1,800 consultation locations, about 97% of which do not need to charge additional fees; about 240 colonoscopy doctors provide colonoscopy examinations at about 680 consultation locations, and more than 70% There is no additional fee for the consultation location.
Participate in the planning process
1. RegistrationElectronic Health Record Sharing System
2. Find a participating primary care physician: Yesclick hereOr call 3565 6288 for a list of doctors, or pay attention to the signs posted outside the clinic
3. Make an appointment with a primary care doctor:
- Present your Hong Kong Identity Card or Certificate of Exemption on the day of consultation
- The doctor will first assess whether the patient is suitable for participating in the program
- Sign the consent form to enroll in the program
- Participant information pack will be distributed, including stool collection tube for fecal occult blood test
4. Collect a stool sample yourself at home
5. Hand over the sample to the designated collection point
6. Wait for the doctor to notify you of the test results
- If the test is positive: another appointment with doctor will be required for further details and referral for colonoscopy
- If the test result is negative: Continue to monitor for symptoms of colorectal cancer and retest every 2 years
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Written by: Wu Zifeng
