Symptoms of Anal Cancer
While up to 20% of patients with anal cancers may not have any symptoms, many cases of anal cancer can be found early because they form in a part of the digestive tract the doctor can reach and see easily. Unfortunately, sometimes symptoms don’t become evident until the cancer has grown or spread, so it is important to be aware of the symptoms associated with anal cancer, so the cancer may be caught early and without delay. Anal cancers often cause symptoms such as:
- Bleeding from the rectum or anus
- The feeling of a lump or mass at the anal opening
- Persistent or recurring pain in the anal area
- Persistent or recurrent itching
- Change in bowel habits (having more or fewer bowel movements) or increased straining during a bowel movement
- Narrowing of the stools
- Discharge or drainage (mucous or pus) from the anus
- Swollen lymph nodes or pain in the anal or groin areas
These symptoms can also be caused by less serious conditions such as hemorrhoids, but you should never assume this. More than 50% of anal cancers have a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis because of the symptoms being mistaken for some other problem (or because the cancer did not have any symptoms). If you have any of the symptoms, see your doctor or colon and rectal surgeon.
Staging of Anal Cancer
The stage of a cancer is a standard way for doctors to sum up how far a cancer has spread. The stage is important because treatment options and outlook for recovery and survival depend on the cancer’s stage. TNM system is used to describe the stage of cancer:
- Tumor (T): How large is the primary tumor? Where is it located.
- Node (N): Has the tumor spread to the lymph nodes? If so, where and how many.
- Metastasis (M): Has the cancer metastasized to other parts of the body? If so, where and how much.
Anal Cancer Metastasis
When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood. The most common sites of spread are as bellow:
Liver – most commonly affected organ. If the liver is affected, symptoms may include nausea, extreme fatigue, increased abdominal girth, swelling of the feet and hands due to fluid collection and yellowing or itchy skin.
Lungs – second most commonly affected organ. If the lungs are affected, symptoms may include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, coughing, chest wall pain or extreme fatigue.
Bone – If the bones are affected, symptoms may include pain, fractures, constipation or decreased alertness due to high calcium levels.
Brain – If the brain or spinal cord is affected, symptoms may include pain, confusion, memory loss, headache, blurred or double vision, difficulty with speech, difficulty with movement or seizures.
Lymph nodes of the abdomen – If the lymph nodes of the abdomen are affected, it may cause bloating, a swollen belly or loss of appetite.
References
https://www.fascrs.org/patients/disease-condition/anal-cancer-expanded-version
https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/what-is-anal-cancer
http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/anal-cancer/stages-and-grades
http://www.cancercenter.com/colorectal-cancer/symptoms/tab/metastatic-colorectal-cancer-symptoms/
