Colorectal cancer, including colon cancer and rectal cancer, is a common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. According to the statistics of World Tumor Epidemiology Survey, the incidence rate of colorectal cancer is highest in North America, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Generally speaking, the incidence rate is higher in economically developed countries. With the development of China’s economy, changes in the dietary structure and lifestyle of the residents (including irrational diets with high protein, high fat, less grains, less fruits and vegetables, reduced physical activity, increased overweight and obesity, etc.), the incidence rate of colorectal cancer in China has been on the rise in recent years, from 12/100,000 in the early 1970s to 56/100,000 at present, with an increase rate of about 4.2% per year, which is far more than the 2% of the international level. The rate of increase is about 4.2% per year, far exceeding the international level of 2%. It is worth noting that colorectal cancer is often neglected due to its inconspicuous early symptoms, and when patients show obvious clinical symptoms, they may already belong to the middle or late stage. Therefore, we should have a full understanding of the clinical symptoms of colorectal cancer, and try our best to achieve early detection and early treatment. Who is the high-incidence group of colorectal cancer? Statistics show that the incidence rate of colorectal cancer is the highest among people aged 41-65 in China, especially those with familial colorectal adenomatosis, colorectal adenomas, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, family history of HNPCC, and family members of colorectal cancer, etc. These groups of people are high risk groups. What to do for this high-risk group? There is only one answer, regular screening. The main purpose is to conduct fecal occult blood test, and if it is positive, then conduct colonoscopy in order to detect the tumor early. What about the non-high-risk group? Pay attention to early detection of early symptoms of tumor. What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer? The first one is the change of stool, including the change of stool trait and shape, such as increased frequency of defecation, diarrhea, constipation, alternating between diarrhea and constipation, mucus stool, blood or pus-blood stool, and thinning of feces. Next is abdominal pain, mostly persistent vague pain with imprecise localization, abdominal discomfort or bloating sensation. Abdominal lumps, mostly in the right side of the abdomen, are hard and in the form of cords or nodules. In addition to systemic symptoms, such as anemia, lethargy, fatigue, low fever and other manifestations, jaundice, swelling, malignant and so on in the late stage. For patients who are not sure about the symptoms, it is recommended to consult with regular hospitals as soon as possible. What tests are needed for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer? Various relevant examinations are the key to early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of colorectal cancer. Relevant examinations include rectal finger-pointing, endoscopy (such as proctoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy), barium enema X-ray, intraluminal ultrasonography, CT examination, MRI examination, fecal occult blood test, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) measurement and so on, some of which are also indispensable examinations of colorectal cancer, which provide reliable bases for the preoperative diagnosis, localization, evaluation and postoperative follow-up of colorectal cancer. They provide a reliable basis for preoperative diagnosis, localization, evaluation and postoperative follow-up of colon cancer. What should I do if I have colorectal cancer? Don’t be afraid, seek medical treatment in time. With the advancement of diagnosis and treatment technology and standardization of treatment, the survival rate of colorectal cancer after operation is improving, the 5-year survival rate of early stage colorectal cancer reaches more than 90%, and the 5-year survival rate of middle and late stage colorectal cancer also reaches 50%. First of all, you should go to regular hospitals for diagnosis and treatment, especially regular colorectal and rectal specialties, and go through comprehensive assessment by clinicians to determine the early and late stage of colorectal cancer and whether there is any metastasis. If the tumor is only confined to the colorectal area and you are physically able to tolerate surgery, surgery is the first choice; clinicians will choose different surgical methods according to the location of the lesion. If you have liver or lung metastasis after evaluation, clinicians will decide whether to perform simultaneous or staged surgery according to the location, amount, size and physical condition of the metastasis, etc. In the past, liver metastasis of colorectal cancer was already in advanced stage, but the latest viewpoints believe that if the liver lesion can be completely resected, then the patient still has the possibility to be cured, so patients with metastasis should not give up so easily. Therefore, patients with metastasis should not give up easily; in addition, if you have bowel obstruction due to narrowing of the bowel lumen caused by the tumor, the clinician may need to perform colostomy to relieve the obstruction according to the specific situation. After the operation, the doctor will also evaluate the patient according to the pathological stage and physical condition, and decide the chemotherapy program and follow-up plan. Are there other treatments for colorectal cancer? Surgery is the first choice for colorectal cancer, but not the only choice. Overall, colorectal cancer is treated with a combination of surgical procedures. Other treatment modalities include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and biotherapy. Radiotherapy is mainly applicable to rectal cancer, chemotherapy is mainly for the adjuvant treatment before and after surgery for colorectal cancer and the treatment of advanced patients, targeted therapy is also for the treatment of advanced patients at present, which has been clinically proved to be able to improve the survival rate, and biological therapy is also for the adjuvant treatment of colorectal cancer, but the clinical effect is still inconclusive, and in addition, the cost of the two are higher. Although the prognosis of colorectal cancer is better than that of other tumors, “treatment is better than prevention”. To prevent colorectal cancer, improving dietary structure, regular life is the key, eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and crude fiber, and eat less smoked food (containing nitrite).