The most common types of sigmoid tumors are:
- Polyps and villous tumors . Benign tumors occur in different parts of the large intestine. This type of tumor is characterized as a precancerous condition of the sigmoid colon.
- Adenocarcinoma . The most common type of colon cancer. Doctors diagnose adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon in 80% of cases.
- Signet cell carcinoma . The tumor accounts for 3-4% of all oncology of the sigmoid colon. It is characterized by rapid metastasis and spread to nearby organs.
To increase the effectiveness of treatment, it is important to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis at the first symptoms of the disease. It should include:
- a blood test for tumor markers, which allows you to distinguish a benign tumor from a malignant one;
- a colonoscopy with a biopsy so that the doctor determines the location of the tumor and obtains its tissue for further examination;
- CT of three cavities (thoracic, abdominal and pelvic organs), which allows the doctor to determine the stage of development of sigmoid colon cancer.
When a patient has a tumor in the sigmoid colon, doctors use the following treatment methods:
- Surgical operation . The doctor determines the type of intervention after a complete examination of the patient and staging of the cancer.
- Chemotherapy. Treatment prevents cancer cells from dividing and slows down tumor growth. Chemotherapy for sigmoid colon cancer cannot replace surgery and is an alternative treatment for an inoperable tumor with metastases.
- Radiation therapy. The procedure stops cell division and reduces the size of the neoplasm. For cancer of the sigmoid colon, doctors use radiotherapy as an adjunct to surgery.
Depending on the stage and complexity of the course of the disease, doctors perform two types of operations:
- minimally invasive;
- radical.
Minimally invasive surgery
Doctors prescribe the method for cancer of the sigmoid colon in the early stages. The surgeon performs all actions by endoscopic method, without incisions on the skin.
radical surgery
During the abdominal operation, the doctor performs a resection (removal) of the affected area and restores the integrity of the operated intestine. When the tumor grows into other tissues, it may be necessary to remove nearby lymph nodes. In difficult cases, the doctor completely excised the sigmoid and rectum, after which it forms a temporary colostomy (artificial anus).