Causes of Rectal cancer
Rectal cancer Causes: Book Excerpts
Rectal cancer as a complication of other conditions:
Other conditions that might have
Rectal cancer as a complication may,
potentially, be an underlying cause of Rectal cancer.
Our database lists the following as having
Rectal cancer as a complication of that condition:
Medical news summaries relating to Rectal cancer:
The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Rectal cancer:
Related information on causes of Rectal cancer:
As with all medical conditions,
there may be many causal factors.
Further relevant information on causes of Rectal cancer may be found in:
Causes of Rectal cancer: Online Medical Books
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for more information about the causes of Rectal cancer.
Rectal Pain:
Differential Diagnosis
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
- Anal fissure
–Acute fissure presents with pain and bleeding (noticed on toilet paper) immediately following defecation
–Chronic fissure presents with long-standing itching and mild pain, with or without bleeding
-
Perianal abscess (with or without associated fistula formation
-
Thrombosed hemorrhoid
-
Levator ani syndrome
-
Proctalgia fugax (rectal muscle spasm)
-
Coccyodynia/coccygodynia
-
Fecal impaction
-
Neoplasm (rectal, pelvic, or cauda equina)
-
Idiopathic
-
Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative proctitis, Crohn's disease)
-
Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome
–Misnomer: May be multiple, not restricted to rectum, and lesion may be polypoid
–Neoplasm is a concern
-
Pruritus ani
-
Trauma
-
Anal sex
-
Constipation
-
Diarrhea
-
Less common causes (“zebras”) include familial rectal pain, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, prostatitis, myopathies, foreign bodies, and compression or inflammation of sacral nerves
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: In a Page: Signs and Symptoms, 2004
Rectal Masses:
Differential Diagnosis
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
-
Hemorrhoids
-
Rectal prolapse
-
Rectal cancer
-
Rectal polyp
-
Prostate cancer
-
Prostatitis
-
Endometriosis
-
Presacral neurogenic tumor
-
Rectal intussusception
- Anal cancer (2% of colorectal cancers)
–Anal canal tumors (above the anal verge) include adenocarcinoma, melanoma, and epidermoid tumors
–Anal margin tumors (below the anal verge) include squamous cell carcinoma, verrucous (from condyloma acuminatum), basal cell carcinoma, Bowen's disease, and Paget's disease of the anus
-
Foreign body
-
Less common diagnoses (“zebras”) include rectal carcinoid, lymphoid hyperplasia, malignant lymphoma, lipoma, dermoid cyst, teratoma, rectal duplication, and leiomyosarcoma
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: In a Page: Signs and Symptoms, 2004
Rectal pain:
Medical causes
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
Abscess (perirectal)
A perirectal abscess can occur in various locations in the rectum and anus, causing pain in the perianal area. Typically, a superficial abscess produces constant, throbbing local pain that’s exacerbated by sitting or walking. The local pain associated with a deeper abscess may begin insidiously, commonly high in the rectum or even in the lower abdomen, and is accompanied by an indurated anal mass. The patient may also develop associated signs and symptoms, such as a fever, malaise, anal swelling and inflammation, purulent drainage, and local tenderness.
Anal fissure
An anal fissure is a longitudinal crack in the anal lining that causes sharp rectal pain on defecation. The patient typically experiences a burning sensation and gnawing pain that can continue up to 4 hours after defecation. Fear of provoking this pain may lead to acute constipation. The patient may also develop anal pruritus and extreme tenderness and may report finding spots of blood on the toilet tissue after defecation.
Anorectal fistula
Pain develops when a tract formed between the anal canal and skin temporarily seals. It persists until drainage resumes. Other chief complaints include pruritus and drainage of pus, blood, mucus and, occasionally, stool.
Hemorrhoids
Thrombosed or prolapsed hemorrhoids cause rectal pain that may worsen during defecation and abate after it. The patient’s fear of provoking the pain may lead to constipation. Usually, rectal pain is accompanied by severe itching. Internal hemorrhoids may also produce mild, intermittent bleeding that characteristically occurs as spotting on the toilet tissue or on the stool surface. External hemorrhoids are visible outside the anal sphincter.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Colorectal cancer:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The exact cause of colorectal cancer is unknown, but studies showing concentration in areas of higher economic development suggest a relationship to diet (excess saturated animal fat). Other factors that magnify the risk of developing colorectal cancer include:
❑other diseases of the digestive tract
❑age (older than age 40)
❑history of ulcerative colitis (average interval before onset of cancer is 11 to 17 years)
❑familial polyposis (cancer almost always develops by age 50).
There are more than 130,000 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the United States each year. It's the second-leading cause of cancer-related death, accounting for more than 50,000 per year. However, in almost all cases, it's treatable if caught early by colonoscopy.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Introduction: Malignant Neoplasms:
What causes cancer?
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Researchers have found that cancer develops from mutations within the genes of cells. Thus, cancer is a genetic disease. Cancer susceptibility genes are of two types. Some are oncogenes, which activate cell division and influence embryonic development, and some are tumor suppressor genes, which halt cell division.
These genes are typically found in normal human cells, but certain kinds of mutations may transform the normal cells. Inherited defects may cause a genetic mutation, whereas exposure to a carcinogen may cause an acquired mutation. Current evidence indicates that carcinogenesis results from a complex interaction of carcinogens and accumulated mutations in several genes.
In animal studies of the ability of viruses to transform cells, some human viruses exhibit carcinogenic potential. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of infectious mononucleosis, has been linked to Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer.
High-frequency radiation, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, damages the genetic material known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), possibly inducing genetically transferable abnormalities. Other factors, such as a person's tissue type and hormonal status, interact to potentiate radiation's carcinogenic effect. Examples of substances that may damage DNA and induce carcinogenesis include:
❑alkylating agents — leukemia
❑aromatic hydrocarbons and benzopyrene (from polluted air) — lung cancer
❑asbestos — mesothelioma of the lung
❑tobacco — cancer of the lung, oral cavity and upper airways, esophagus, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder
❑vinyl chloride — angiosarcoma of the liver.
Diet has also been implicated, especially in the development of GI cancer as a result of a high animal fat diet. Additives composed of nitrates and certain methods of food preparation — particularly charbroiling — are also recognized factors.
The role of hormones in carcinogenesis is still controversial, but it seems that excessive use of some hormones, especially estrogen, produces cancer in animals. Also, the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol causes vaginal cancer in some daughters of women who were treated with it. It's unclear, however, whether changes in human hormonal balance retard or stimulate cancer development.
Some forms of cancer and precancerous lesions result from genetic predisposition either directly (as in Wilms' tumor and retinoblastoma) or indirectly (in association with inherited conditions such as Down syndrome or immunodeficiency diseases). Expressed as autosomal recessive, X-linked, or autosomal dominant disorders, their common characteristics include:
❑early onset of malignant disease
❑increased incidence of bilateral cancer in paired organs (breasts, adrenal glands, kidneys, and eighth cranial nerve [acoustic neuroma])
❑increased incidence of multiple primary malignancies in nonpaired organs
❑abnormal chromosome complement in tumor cells.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Malignant spinal neoplasms:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Primary tumors of the spinal cord may be extramedullary (occurring outside the spinal cord) or intramedullary (occurring within the cord itself). Extramedullary tumors may be intradural (meningiomas and schwannomas), which account for 60% of all primary malignant spinal cord neoplasms, or extradural (metastatic tumors from breasts, lungs, prostate, leukemia, or lymphomas), which account for 25% of these malignant neoplasms.
Intramedullary tumors, or gliomas (astrocytomas or ependymomas), are comparatively rare, accounting for only about 10%. In children, they're low-grade astrocytomas.
Spinal cord tumors are rare compared with intracranial tumors (ratio of 1:4). They occur equally in men and women, with the exception of meningiomas, which occur mostly in women. Spinal cord tumors can occur anywhere along the length of the cord or its roots.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Rectal polyps:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Formation of polyps results from unrestrained cell growth in the upper epithelium. Predisposing factors include heredity, age, infection, and diet.
Villous adenomas are most prevalent in men older than age 55; common polypoid adenomas, in white women between ages 45 and 60. Incidence in both sexes rises after age 70. Juvenile polyps usually occur among children younger than age 10 and are characterized by rectal bleeding.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Rectal pain:
Medical causes
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Abscess (perirectal)
This abscess can occur in various locations in the rectum and anus, causing pain in the perianal area. Typically, a superficial abscess produces constant, throbbing local pain that’s exacerbated by sitting or walking. The local pain associated with a deeper abscess may begin insidiously, often high in the rectum or even in the lower abdomen, and is accompanied by an indurated anal mass. The patient may also develop associated signs and symptoms, such as fever, malaise, anal swelling and inflammation, purulent drainage, and local tenderness.
Abscess (prostatic)
This disorder occasionally produces rectal pain. Common associated findings include urine retention and frequency, dysuria, and fever. A rectal examination may reveal prostatic tenderness and gas.
Anal fissure
This longitudinal crack in the anal lining causes sharp rectal pain on defecation. The patient typically experiences a burning sensation and gnawing pain that can continue up to 4 hours after defecation. Fear of provoking this pain may lead to acute constipation. The patient may also develop anal pruritus and extreme tenderness and may report finding spots of blood on the toilet tissue after defecation.
Anorectal fistula
Pain develops when a tract formed between the anal canal and skin temporarily seals. It persists until drainage resumes. Other chief complaints include pruritus and drainage of pus, blood, mucus, and occasionally stool.
Cryptitis
This disorder results when particles of stool that are lodged in the anal folds decay and cause infection, which may produce dull anal pain or discomfort and anal pruritus.
Hemorrhoids
Thrombosed or prolapsed hemorrhoids cause rectal pain that may worsen during defecation and abate after it. The patient’s fear of provoking the pain may lead to constipation. Usually, rectal pain is accompanied by severe itching. Internal hemorrhoids may also produce mild, intermittent bleeding that characteristically occurs as spotting on the toilet tissue or on the stool surface. External hemorrhoids are visible outside the anal sphincter.
Proctalgia fugax
With this disorder, muscle spasms of the rectum and pelvic floor produce sudden, severe episodes of rectal pain that last up to several minutes and then disappear. The patient may report being awakened by the pain, which is sometimes associated with stress or anxiety and relieved by food and drink.
Rectal cancer
Rectal pain, bleeding, tenesmus, and a hard, nontender mass are typical findings in this rare form of cancer.
Other causes
Anal intercourse
Shearing forces may cause inflammation or tearing of the mucous membranes and discomfort.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Rectal Pain:
Differential Overview
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
❑ Hemorrhoid
❑ Rectal fissure
❑ Prostatitis
❑ Anal fistula
❑ Pruritus ani
❑ Fecal impaction
❑ Coccydynia
❑ Perirectal abscess
❑ Infected pilonidal cyst
❑ Ulcerative proctitis
❑ Infective proctitis
❑ Proctalgia fugax
❑ Anal carcinoma
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007
Colorectal cancer:
Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)
The exact cause of colorectal cancer is unknown, but studies showing concentration in areas of higher economic development suggest a relation to diet (excess animal fat, particularly beef, and low fiber). Other factors that increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer include:
❑ other diseases of the digestive tract
❑ age (older than 40)
❑ history of ulcerative colitis (the average interval before onset of cancer is 11 to 17 years)
❑ familial polyposis (cancer almost always develops by age 50).
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Rectal pain:
Medical causes
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Abscess
A perirectal abscess can occur in various locations in the rectum and anus, causing pain in the perianal area. Typically, a superficial abscess produces constant, throbbing, local pain that’s exacerbated by sitting or walking. The local pain associated with a deeper abscess may begin insidiously high in the rectum or even in the lower abdomen and is accompanied by an indurated anal mass. The patient may also develop such associated signs and symptoms as fever, malaise, anal swelling and inflammation, purulent drainage, and local tenderness.
A prostatic abscess occasionally produces rectal pain. Common associated findings include urine retention and frequency, dysuria, and fever. A rectal examination may reveal prostatic tenderness and gas.
Anal fissure
An anal fissure is a longitudinal crack in the anal lining that causes sharp rectal pain on defecation. The patient typically experiences a burning sensation and gnawing pain that can continue up to 4 hours after defecation. Fear of provoking this pain may lead to acute constipation. The patient may also develop anal pruritus and extreme tenderness and may report finding spots of blood on the toilet tissue after defecation.
Anorectal fistula
Pain develops when a tract formed between the anal canal and skin temporarily seals. It persists until drainage resumes. Other chief complaints of an anorectal fistula include pruritus and drainage of pus, blood, mucus and, occasionally, stool.
Cryptitis
Cryptitis results when particles of stool that are lodged in the anal folds decay and cause infection, which may produce dull anal pain or discomfort and anal pruritus. Intense pain may occur when the anal sphincter contracts.
Hemorrhoids
Thrombosed or prolapsed hemorrhoids cause rectal pain that may worsen during defecation and abate after it. The patient’s fear of provoking the pain may lead to constipation. Usually, rectal pain is accompanied by severe itching. Internal hemorrhoids may also produce mild, intermittent bleeding that characteristically occurs as spotting on the toilet tissue or on the stool surface. External hemorrhoids are visible outside the anal sphincter.
Proctalgia fugax
With proctalgia fugax, muscle spasms of the rectum and pelvic floor produce sudden, severe episodes of rectal pain that last up to several minutes and then disappear. The patient may report being awakened by the pain, which is sometimes associated with stress or anxiety and relieved by food and drink.
Other causes
Anal intercourse
Shearing forces may cause inflammation or tearing of the mucous membranes and discomfort.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Rectal pain:
Medical causes
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
Abscess (perirectal).A perirectal abscess can occur in various locations in the rectum and anus, causing pain in the perianal area. Typically, a superficial abscess produces constant, throbbing local pain that's exacerbated by sitting or walking. The local pain associated with a deeper abscess may begin insidiously, commonly high in the rectum or even in the lower abdomen, and is accompanied by an indurated anal mass. The patient may also develop associated signs and symptoms, such as fever, malaise, anal swelling and inflammation, purulent drainage, and local tenderness.
Anal fissure.An anal fissure causes sharp rectal pain on defecation. The patient typically experiences a burning sensation and gnawing pain that can continue up to 4 hours after defecation. Fear of provoking this pain may lead to acute constipation. The patient may also develop anal pruritus and extreme tenderness and may report finding spots of blood on the toilet tissue after defecation.
Anorectal fistula.Anorectal fistula causes rectal pain to develop when a tract formed between the anal canal and skin temporarily seals. It persists until drainage resumes. Other chief complaints include pruritus and drainage of pus, blood, mucus and, occasionally, stools.
Hemorrhoids.Thrombosed or prolapsed hemorrhoids cause rectal pain that may worsen during defecation and abate after it. The patient's fear of provoking the pain may lead to constipation. Usually, rectal pain is accompanied by severe itching. Internal hemorrhoids may also produce mild, intermittent bleeding that characteristically occurs as spotting on the toilet tissue or on the stool surface. External hemorrhoids are visible outside the anal sphincter.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
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