{"id":3864,"date":"2022-09-20T09:00:32","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T01:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiamd.com\/?p=3864"},"modified":"2025-08-20T16:13:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T16:13:27","slug":"is-colorectal-cancer-fatal-5-facts-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/2022\/09\/20\/is-colorectal-cancer-fatal-5-facts-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Is colorectal cancer fatal? 5 facts you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p8\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"s3\"><i>This article has been fact-checked by <a href=\"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/make-an-appointment\/?dr=denis_cheong\">Dr Denis Cheong<\/a>, colorectal surgery specialist of <\/i><\/span><span class=\"s3\"><i>Surgi-TEN Specialists at Farrer Park Hospital.<\/i><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/doctors\/denis-cheong\/\">About the Doctor<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Over the past few decades, colorectal cancer has become Singapore\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg\/learn-about-cancer\/cancer-basics\/common-types-of-cancer-in-singapore.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">top cancer diagnosis<\/span><\/a>, It affects both genders, making up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mountelizabeth.com.sg\/healthplus\/article\/colorectal-cancer-common-symptoms-causes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">one in six cancer diagnoses for men, and one in seven for women<\/span><\/a>. Those above age 50 are at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parkwaycancercentre.com\/sg\/news-events\/news-articles\/news-articles-details\/a-closer-look-at-colorectal-cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">highest risk<\/span><\/a>. Men have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nccs.com.sg\/patient-care\/cancer-types\/cancer-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">slightly higher risk<\/span><\/a>, with colorectal cancer being the top cancer for men, and second only to breast cancer for women. The good news is that colorectal cancer is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/colorectal-cancer\/ss\/slideshow-colorectal-cancer-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">highly curable when caught in the early stages<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/t.me\/AsiaMDsg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https:\/\/t.me\/AsiaMDsg<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The doctor will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/latest-news\/signs-and-symptoms-of-colon-cancer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">want to know<\/span><\/a> about your medical and family history and, if you\u2019re showing symptoms, ask about how long you\u2019ve had them. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancercenter.com\/cancer-types\/colorectal-cancer\/symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">Assessments<\/span><\/a> may be done via a colonoscopy, CT, MRI or PET scans, stool tests and biopsies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Facts to know after a colorectal cancer diagnosis<br \/>\n<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s3\"><b>What makes colorectal cancer <\/b><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><b>spread<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s3\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s3\">The colon and rectum sit in a tight space surrounded by your hip bones and close to other organs. Thus, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nccs.com.sg\/patient-care\/conditions-treatments\/colorectal-colon-cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">chances of the cancer spreading to other body parts<\/span><\/a> are relatively high. This usually occurs at Stage 3, although metastatic tumours may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/news-events\/cancer-currents-blog\/2019\/early-metastasis-colorectal-cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">spread early on<\/span><\/a>, possibly years before the condition is diagnosed. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s3\"><b>Early removal of <\/b><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><b>colonic<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s3\"><b> polyps can be easy<\/b><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s3\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncis.com.sg\/Cancer-Information\/About-Cancer\/Pages\/Colorectal-Cancer.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">colonoscopy<\/span><\/a> lets your doctor identify abnormal growths with a flexible, thin tube fitted with a light and camera that is inserted through the anus. If the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncis.com.sg\/Cancer-Information\/About-Cancer\/Pages\/Colorectal-Cancer.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s7\">polyp<\/span><span class=\"s6\"> is small<\/span><\/a>, it can be excised through this procedure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s3\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3865\" src=\"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Screen-Shot-2022-03-28-at-11.00.13-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"501\" \/><br \/>\nA colonoscopy helps doctors identify and remove dangerous polyps.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncis.com.sg\/Cancer-Information\/About-Cancer\/Pages\/Colorectal-Cancer.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">Image: National University Cancer Institute Singapore<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s3\"><b>Treating colorectal cancer<\/b><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s3\">Surgery is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncis.com.sg\/Cancer-Information\/About-Cancer\/Pages\/Colorectal-Cancer.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">most common treatment for colorectal cancer<\/span><\/a>. The surgeon will remove the tumour and a small amount of surrounding tissue. However, if the cancer is larger, a section of your colon or rectum may need to be removed and the cut ends reattached. If the disease has spread to other organs, surgery probably won\u2019t cure you, but it may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/colorectal-cancer\/ss\/slideshow-colorectal-cancer-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">alleviate symptoms<\/span><\/a>. Together with surgery, your doctor may suggest radiation therapy. Both surgery and radiation therapy mainly targets the cancer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/colon-rectal-cancer\/if-you-have-colon-rectal-cancer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">without affecting the rest of the body<\/span><\/a>. To reach cancer cells that have travelled elsewhere, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/colon-rectal-cancer\/if-you-have-colon-rectal-cancer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">go through your body<\/span><\/a> may be advised.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s3\"><b>Survival rates after a colorectal cancer diagnosis<\/b><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s3\">Current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthhub.sg\/live-healthy\/2056\/9-Must-Know-Facts-About-Colorectal-Cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">survival rates<\/span><\/a> are around 84% for men, and 86% for women if the cancer is discovered at stage one. However, once the cancer is at stage four, survival rates drop to 10% for men, and 11% for women. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.smj.org.sg\/sites\/default\/files\/5301\/5301ra1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s9\">Colorectal cancer<\/span><\/a> is second to lung cancer as to the cause of cancer-related death for Singaporean men, and the third after breast and lung cancer for Singaporean women, but there has been an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.smj.org.sg\/sites\/default\/files\/5301\/5301ra1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">improvement in survival rate<\/span><\/a> over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s3\"><b>Post-cancer care<\/b><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s3\">Most colorectal cancer survivors <a href=\"http:\/\/www.smj.org.sg\/sites\/default\/files\/5301\/5301ra1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">can expect to live the rest of their lives in good health<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><span class=\"s5\">However<\/span><span class=\"s3\">, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/colorectal-cancer\/what-is-recurrent-colorectal-cancer#:~:text=Recurrent%2520colorectal%2520cancer%2520usually%2520comes,of%2520all%2520the%2520cancer%2520cells.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">recurring cancer<\/span><\/a> is a possibility and could resurface in just a few months. This may be because the earlier treatment did not get rid of all the cancer cells, or it could be a more advanced version of the original cancer. If colorectal cancer recurs, you may experience similar symptoms like bowel changes and abdominal pain. You may also not have any symptoms at all, which is why follow-up appointments and screenings are important. To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/colon-rectal-cancer\/after-treatment\/living.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s6\">minimise your risk<\/span><\/a>, try to eat a healthy diet, keep active and trim, as well as avoid smoking and alcohol.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Worried about a colorectal cancer diagnosis? Learn about what happens next and survival statistics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":5535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111,159],"tags":[222,229,277,378,379,380,381,386,516,553,935,936,1256,1257,1471,1648,1649,1689,1690,1692,1693,1712,1713,1738],"class_list":["post-3864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer","category-colorectal","tag-anal-pain","tag-anus-bleeding","tag-blood-in-stools","tag-colon-cancer","tag-colon-polyp","tag-colon-screening","tag-colonoscopy","tag-constipation","tag-feeling-bloated","tag-gas-spasm","tag-rectal-bleeding","tag-rectal-cancer","tag-1256","tag-1257","tag-1471","tag-1648","tag-1649","tag-1689","tag-1690","tag-1692","tag-1693","tag-1712","tag-1713","tag-1738"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"ms","enabled_languages":["en","zh","ko","ja","mn","vi","ta","th","ms","km","id","my","hi"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true},"ko":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ja":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"mn":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"vi":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ta":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"th":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ms":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"km":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"id":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"my":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"hi":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3864"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10356,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3864\/revisions\/10356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiamd.bqubetech.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}