General Medicine

» tinuviel - 10 cm margin

When you say "remove the tumour with about a 10cm margin," does that mean cutting from a radius of ten centimetres all around the tumour? That seems so large! How can so much be removed from the colon without severing it?

-- posted by tinuviel

» P_Al - 10 cm margin

In response to 10 cm margin posted by tinuviel:

Great question. The 10 cm refers to the distance from visible tumour to where you make the cut in the gut. This will naturally require severing the bowels. Remember that it is a fairly thin and hollow tube. The length of gut which includes the tumour and the 10 cm margin are removed. The ends are then sutured together.

This is one of the reasons why these patients can not eat for a few days after surgery. This allows the sutured ends, called an anastomosis, to heal. Otherwise there would be leaking into the abdominal cavity which can be quite serious and also the wound would not heal well.

-- posted by P_Al

» redback - 10 cm margin

In response to 10 cm margin posted by P_Al:

At a recent forum here a leading specialist who'd make a great comedian, stated among many other things:

Colorectal cancer is the commonest internal cancer in Australia.

Almost always starts as a benign polyp.

Earliest signs of rectal bleeding on toilet paper = go to your doctor.

There is a 60% cure rate...>90% if confined to the bowel wall ie the earlier it is detected.

Permanent colostomies rarely needed.

This was 'Secret Mens Business' covering a whole range of health issues where men really need to be more responsible for their own health.

Consider yearly check-ups.

-- posted by redback

» P_Al - 10 cm margin

In response to 10 cm margin posted by redback:

"Colorectal cancer is the commonest internal cancer in Australia."

I saw some statistics for 2001 - http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/can/... Your colorectal vs lung cancer rates are different from some of the other developed countries. Did you seen any more recent statistics on cancer incidence in Australia? Where does lung/colorectal cancer now fall?

-- posted by P_Al

» redback - 10 cm margin

In response to 10 cm margin posted by P_Al:

Apparently the 2001 data is the most recent consolidated info. Here's a link to the same organisation (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare) covering projections from 2001 to 2011:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/can/...

"..Colorectal cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in Australia (excluding NMSC) with a total of 12,844 new cases in 2001, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer.." (non-melanoma skin cancers - NMSC)

It seems up to 2011, there is expected to be an increased incidence of colo-rectal cancers for women while steady for men.

It's a comprehensive report and linked in case you want to wade through it.

It reminded me that way back in 1964 I manually collated countless records (under the ICD) for war veterans. I was the ICD Recorder and paid a pittance.

-- posted by redback

» redback - 10 cm margin

In response to 10 cm margin posted by redback:

While it looks exactly the same hotlink you gave me in your post, the link in mine takes you to a different report.

The Cancer Council of NSW, my State, has it's own data and accesses national info:

"From 1995 to 2004 the age-standardised mortality rates for bowel cancer fell by 21% in males and 19% in females."

"From 1995-2004 the age-standardised incidence rate of lung cancer fell by 18% in males and rose by 11% in females."

The data needs to be read carefully. The above 2 aren't the same, one referring to incidence, the other mortality. There was no category for colo-rectal cancer. Increased capacity for accurate diagnosis and screeing vs an ageing population, even deaths affect the stats.

You suggested a different incidence over there?

-- posted by redback

» P_Al - 10 cm margin

In response to 10 cm margin posted by redback:

These are the Canadian figures for 2007
http://www.cancer.ca/vgn/images/portal/c...
Lung cancer is number 1 for deaths in both males and females. For incidence, prostate and breast take number 1 with lung second.

According to the ACS - 2006 figures; http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/CAFF...
Lung cancer remains number one for both males and females in terms of cancer deaths. There is a 1.9% reduction/yr for men between 1991-2002. However for women there has been a steady increase.
Incidence rates have lung cancer behind prostate and breast cancer for male and females respectively.

-- posted by P_Al