From the cecum in the right lower quadrant, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, to the sigmoid colon in the left lower quadrant, the length of the adult colon is approximately 150cm. The transverse colon and sigmoid colon are intra-abdominal organs, that is, they are "free" in the abdominal cavity, and their lengths are approximately 45cm. The cecum, ascending colon, and descending colon are relatively short, inter-abdominal organs, and the posterior wall of the intestine is adjacent to the retroperitoneal tissue without a serosa layer.
The length of the colon and intestines is relatively long, and the scope of surgical resection can be sufficient. Therefore, most colon cancers are treated with surgery first, including some stage IV colon cancers (when liver and lung metastases are evaluated for surgery or radiotherapy). So, what should you pay attention to after colon cancer surgery?
First of all, build up the confidence to fight cancer, adjust your mentality as much as possible, and psychologically cannot cross the line. A bad mood will affect diet, and nutritional supplements, and also make people lazy about activities. This will cause the patient's immune system function to decrease, and the cancer will become arrogant if the patient is weak!
It is inevitable for such a serious illness to be in a bad mood. The patient himself should be strong and talk more, and his family and friends should encourage, comfort, and accompany him. If necessary, he should seek help from a psychiatrist, and everyone should work together to help the patient get through this hurdle.
Secondly, is adjuvant chemotherapy required after colon cancer surgery? Stage I colon cancer does not require adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. Whether to receive adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II is the most complicated. It depends on whether the patient has high-risk factors (such as large T4 tumor, vascular/nerve invasion, lymph node biopsy number ≤12, etc.) and microsatellite instability on postoperative pathological examination (currently required for routine examination) To determine whether to receive chemotherapy and which chemotherapy regimen to use, some elderly and moderate-risk patients may consider 3 months of adjuvant chemotherapy and 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy is generally required. Adjuvant chemotherapy is generally recommended after stage III and IV surgery.
Third, what do patients worry about most? The tumor recurred! In addition to being related to objective factors such as disease stage and tissue grade, recurrence is also closely related to diet. The food must be properly matched, including some whole grains, more fresh fruits and vegetables, and less animal-based high protein, high fat, and low fiber. In the diet, the meat is mainly fish and poultry, eat less red meat, and do not eat processed meat, smoked, fried, barbecued, and other foods. Lifestyle activities such as being more active, avoiding sitting for long periods, and maintaining a reasonable weight can also help reduce the recurrence of colon cancer.
Fourth, review regularly and check anytime if you feel unwell. According to the stage of the disease, the doctor will set the review time. If the postoperative time is short and the stage is late, the frequency of review will be higher. Some patients who are older or in poor physical condition do not necessarily need frequent examinations. Clinical examination, consultation with doctors, blood tests (CEA), and liver and lung imaging are the main contents of the review.
