关于直肠癌的一般信息
直肠癌是一种由恶性癌细胞在直肠组织中形成而导致的疾病。
直肠是人体消化系统的一部分。消化系统从食物中吸收各种营养素（维生素，矿物质，碳水化合物，脂肪，蛋白质和水），并且有助于将废物排出体外。消化系统由食道，胃，小肠和大肠组成。结肠（大肠）是大肠的第一部分，大约5英尺长。同时，直肠和肛管构成大肠的最后一部分，有6~8英寸长。肛管的终端为肛门（大肠通向体外的开口）。
下消化系统的解剖图，显示了结肠和其他器官。
如想了解更多直肠癌的信息，请参见以下PDQ概述：
健康史影响患直肠癌的风险。
任何增加患病几率的因素都被称为风险因素。有风险因素并不意味着您会得癌症;没有危险因素并不意味着您不会得癌症。如果您认为自己有患结直肠癌的风险，请咨询你的医生。
患结直肠癌的风险因素包括以下几点：
年龄大是大多数癌症的主要风险因素。随着年龄的增长，患癌症的几率会增加。
直肠癌的迹象有排便习惯改变或大便带血。
这些及其它迹象和症状可能由直肠癌或其它疾病导致。如果出现以下任何症状，请咨询您的医生。
用检查直肠和结肠的方法来检测和诊断直肠癌。
用于直肠癌诊断的检查方法有以下几种：
结肠镜检查。一根细而发光的管子穿过肛门和直肠，进入结肠，寻找异常区域。
某些因素会影响预后（恢复的几率）和治疗方法选择。
预后（恢复的几率）和治疗方法的选择取决于以下几点：
General Information About Rectal Cancer
Rectal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the rectum.
The rectum is part of the body’s digestive system. The digestive system takes in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) from foods and helps pass waste material out of the body. The digestive system is made up of the esophagus, stomach, and the small and large intestines. The colon (large bowel) is the first part of the large intestine and is about 5 feet long. Together, the rectum and anal canal make up the last part of the large intestine and are 6-8 inches long. The anal canal ends at the anus (the opening of the large intestine to the outside of the body).
Anatomy of the lower digestive system, showing the colon and other organs.
See the following PDQ summaries for more information about rectal cancer:
Health history affects the risk of developing rectal cancer.
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. Talk to your doctor if you think you may be at risk for colorectal cancer.
Risk factors for colorectal cancer include the following:
Older age is a main risk factor for most cancers. The chance of getting cancer increases as you get older.
Signs of rectal cancer include a change in bowel habits or blood in the stool.
These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by rectal cancer or by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following:
Tests that examine the rectum and colon are used to detect (find) and diagnose rectal cancer.
Tests used to diagnose rectal cancer include the following:
Colonoscopy. A thin, lighted tube is inserted through the anus and rectum and into the colon to look for abnormal areas.
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:
直肠癌分期
直肠癌确诊后，需要进行检查，了解癌细胞是否已经在直肠内扩散，或者已经扩散至人体其他部位。
检查癌细胞是否已经在直肠内扩散或者已扩散到体内其他部位的过程称作分期。从分期过程收集的信息可确定疾病的分期。为了制定治疗方案，了解癌症的分期是很重要的。
以下检查可能会被用于分期的过程中：
结肠镜检查。一根细而发光的管子穿过肛门和直肠，进入结肠，寻找异常区域。
癌细胞在体内扩散有三种方式。
癌症可以通过组织，淋巴系统和血液扩散。
癌细胞可以从原发部位扩散到体内其他部位。
当癌细胞扩散到人体的另一个部位，被称为转移。癌细胞从起始的地方（原发性肿瘤）脱离，通过淋巴系统或血液移动。
转移性肿瘤跟原发性肿瘤是同种类型的癌症。例如，如果直肠癌细胞扩散到肺，那么肺里的癌细胞实际上是直肠癌细胞。这种病称作转移性直肠癌，而不是肺癌。
许多癌症死亡是由于癌症从原发肿瘤扩散到其他组织和器官。这被称为转移性癌症。这个动画展示了癌细胞是如何从体内最初形成的位置移动到身体的其他部位的。
直肠癌分期：
0期（原位癌）
0期(原位直肠癌)。直肠壁黏膜可见异常细胞。
在0期直肠癌中，直肠壁黏膜层(最内层)发现异常细胞。这些异常细胞可能形成癌细胞并扩散到附近的正常组织。0期又称原位癌。
I期
I期直肠癌。癌细胞已从直肠壁的黏膜层扩散到粘膜下层或肌层。
在I期直肠癌，癌细胞已在直肠壁的粘膜层(最内层)形成，并已扩散到粘膜下层(紧邻粘膜层的组织层)或直肠壁的肌层。
II期
II期直肠癌。在IIA期，癌细胞已通过直肠壁的肌层向浆膜层扩散。在IIB期，癌细胞已通过浆膜层扩散，但未扩散到邻近器官。在IIC期，癌细胞已经通过浆膜层扩散到附近的器官。
II期直肠癌分为IIA期、IIB期和IIC期。
III期
III期直肠癌分为IIIA期、IIIB期和IIIC期。
IIIA期直肠癌。癌细胞已透过直肠壁的黏膜层扩散至黏膜下层，并可能已扩散至肌层，并已扩散至邻近的一至三个淋巴结或邻近淋巴结的组织。或者，癌细胞已经通过粘膜层扩散到粘膜下层和附近的4到6个淋巴结。
在IIIA期，癌细胞已经扩散至:
IIIB期直肠癌。癌细胞已透过直肠壁的肌层扩散至浆膜层，或已透过浆膜层但未扩散至邻近的器官;癌细胞已经扩散到附近的1到3个淋巴结或淋巴结附近的组织。或者，癌细胞已经扩散到肌层或浆膜层，以及附近的4到6个淋巴结。或者，癌细胞已通过粘膜层扩散到粘膜下层，并可能已扩散到肌层;癌细胞已经扩散到附近的七个或更多的淋巴结。
在IIIB期，癌细胞已经扩散至:
IIIC期直肠癌。癌细胞已透过直肠壁的浆膜扩散，但未扩散至附近的器官;癌症已经扩散到附近的4到6个淋巴结。或者，癌症已通过肌层扩散到浆膜，或已通过浆膜但未扩散到附近的器官;癌症已经扩散到附近的七个或更多的淋巴结。或者，癌症已经通过浆膜层扩散到附近的器官和一个或多个附近的淋巴结或淋巴结附近的组织。
在IIIC期，癌细胞已经扩散：
IV期：
IV期直肠癌分为IVA期、IVB期和IVC期。
IV期直肠癌。癌细胞已经通过血液和淋巴结扩散到身体的其他部位，如肺、肝、腹壁或卵巢。
Stages of Rectal Cancer
After rectal cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the rectum or to other parts of the body.
The process used to find out whether cancer has spread within the rectum or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment.
The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:
Colonoscopy. A thin, lighted tube is inserted through the anus and rectum and into the colon to look for abnormal areas.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:
Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.
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 metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if rectal cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are actually rectal cancer cells. The disease is metastatic rectal cancer, not lung cancer.
Many cancer deaths are caused when cancer moves from the original tumor and spreads to other tissues and organs. This is called metastatic cancer. This animation shows how cancer cells travel from the place in the body where they first formed to other parts of the body.
The following stages are used for rectal cancer:
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
Stage 0 (rectal carcinoma in situ). Abnormal cells are shown in the mucosa of the rectum wall.
In stage 0 rectal cancer, abnormal cells are found in the mucosa (innermost layer) of the rectum wall. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.
Stage I
Stage I rectal cancer. Cancer has spread from the mucosa of the rectum wall to the submucosa or to the muscle layer.
In stage I rectal cancer, cancer has formed in the mucosa (innermost layer) of the rectum wall and has spread to the submucosa (layer of tissue next to the mucosa) or to the muscle layer of the rectum wall.
Stage II
Stage II rectal cancer. In stage IIA, cancer has spread through the muscle layer of the rectum wall to the serosa. In stage IIB, cancer has spread through the serosa but has not spread to nearby organs. In stage IIC, cancer has spread through the serosa to nearby organs.
Stage II rectal cancer is divided into stages IIA, IIB, and IIC.
Stage III
Stage III rectal cancer is divided into stages IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC.
Stage IIIA rectal cancer. Cancer has spread through the mucosa of the rectum wall to the submucosa and may have spread to the muscle layer, and has spread to one to three nearby lymph nodes or tissues near the lymph nodes. OR, cancer has spread through the mucosa to the submucosa and four to six nearby lymph nodes.
In stage IIIA, cancer has spread:
Stage IIIB rectal cancer. Cancer has spread through the muscle layer of the rectum wall to the serosa or has spread through the serosa but not to nearby organs; cancer has spread to one to three nearby lymph nodes or to tissues near the lymph nodes. OR, cancer has spread to the muscle layer or to the serosa, and to four to six nearby lymph nodes. OR, cancer has spread through the mucosa to the submucosa and may have spread to the muscle layer; cancer has spread to seven or more nearby lymph nodes.
In stage IIIB, cancer has spread:
Stage IIIC rectal cancer. Cancer has spread through the serosa of the rectum wall but not to nearby organs; cancer has spread to four to six nearby lymph nodes. OR, cancer has spread through the muscle layer to the serosa or has spread through the serosa but not to nearby organs; cancer has spread to seven or more nearby lymph nodes. OR, cancer has spread through the serosa to nearby organs and to one or more nearby lymph nodes or to tissues near the lymph nodes.
In stage IIIC, cancer has spread:
Stage IV
Stage IV rectal cancer is divided into stages IVA, IVB, and IVC.
Stage IV rectal cancer. The cancer has spread through the blood and lymph nodes to other parts of the body, such as the lung, liver, abdominal wall, or ovary.
治疗选项概述
直肠癌患者可以采用不同类型的治疗方法。
直肠癌患者可以采用不同类型的治疗方法。一些治疗方法属于标准治疗方法（目前采用的治疗方法），还有一些治疗方法正在进行临床试验。治疗临床试验是一项研究，旨在帮助改善现有的治疗方法或获取新的癌症治疗方法的信息。当临床试验结果表明新的治疗方法优于标准治疗方法时，这种新的治疗方法可能就可能成为标准治疗方法。患者可能会考虑参加临床试验。一些临床试验只对那些还没有开始接受治疗的患者开放。
目前采用的六种标准治疗方法
手术
手术是各个分期直肠癌最常见的治疗方法。癌症可采用下列手术方法之一进行切除。
癌症切除后，手术医生还会：
直肠切除吻合术。切除直肠和部分结肠，然后结肠和肛门连接起来。
放射治疗和/或化疗可能会在手术前进行，以缩小肿瘤体积，使癌症更容易切除，并且有助于术后排便控制。术前治疗称为新辅助治疗。即使手术切除了所有可见的癌组织，术后有些患者也需要进行化疗或放疗，以杀死任何残留的癌细胞。术后给予治疗，以降低癌症复发的风险，称作辅助治疗。
放射治疗
放射治疗是一种癌症治疗方法，使用高能x射线或其他类型的辐射杀死癌细胞或阻止癌细胞生长。放射治疗有两种:
放射治疗的方式取决于癌症的分型和分期。体外放射治疗用于治疗直肠癌。
术前短期放疗用于某些类型的直肠癌。与标准治疗方法相比，这种治疗方法放疗的次数更少，剂量更低，放疗结束后几天进行手术。
化疗
化疗是使用药物阻止癌细胞生长，或者杀死癌细胞，或者阻止癌细胞分裂的治疗方法。当化疗药物是采取口服或静脉或肌肉注射后，药物就会进入血液循环，到达全身的癌细胞（全身化疗）。当化疗药物直接置于脑脊液，某个器官或体腔（例如腹腔）时，药物主要影响这些区域里的癌细胞（局部化疗）。
肝动脉化疗栓塞术是一种局部化疗，可以用于治疗已经扩散到肝脏的癌症。肝动脉化疗栓塞术是通过阻塞肝动脉（给肝脏供血的主要动脉）并在栓塞与肝脏之间注射抗癌药物。然后肝动脉将药物输送入肝脏。只有少量的药物会到达身体其他部位。栓塞可能是暂时的，也可能是永久的，这取决于用什么来阻塞动脉。肝脏继续接收一些来自肝门静脉的血液，肝门静脉传送来自胃和小肠的血液。
化疗的方式取决于所治疗的癌症的类型及其分期。
更多信息请参见批准用于治疗结肠癌和直肠癌的药物。
积极监测
积极监测即密切关注患者的病情，除非检测结果发生变化，否则不给予任何治疗。它被用来发现病情恶化的早期迹象。在积极监测中，患者接受特定的检查和检测，以检查癌症病灶是否在增长。当癌症开始生长时，就给予治疗。检查包括以下内容:
靶向治疗
靶向治疗是一种利用药物或其他物质来识别和攻击特定癌细胞而不伤害正常细胞的治疗方法。
直肠癌的靶向治疗类型包括:
有不同的类型的单克隆抗体治疗:
有关更多信息，请参见批准用于结肠癌和直肠癌的药物。
免疫治疗
免疫治疗是一种利用病人的免疫系统对抗癌症的疗法。人体产生或实验室制造的物质用于增强、引导或恢复人体对癌症的天然防御。这种癌症治疗也被称为生物治疗。
免疫检查点抑制剂治疗是一种免疫治疗:
免疫检查点抑制剂。肿瘤细胞上的PD-L1和T细胞上的PD-1等检查点蛋白有助于抑制免疫反应。PD-L1与PD-1的结合阻止了T细胞杀死体内的肿瘤细胞(左图)。用免疫检查点抑制剂(抗PD-L1或抗PD-1)阻断PD-L1与PD-1的结合，使T细胞能够杀伤肿瘤细胞(右图)。
免疫治疗利用人体的免疫系统来对抗癌症。这个动画解释了一种使用免疫检查点抑制剂来治疗癌症的免疫治疗。
更多信息，请参见批准用于结肠癌和直肠癌的药物。
其他类型的治疗方法正在进行临床试验。
有关临床试验的信息可以从NCI网站中找到。
直肠癌的治疗可能会引起副作用。
有关癌症治疗的副作用的信息，请参阅我们的副作用页面。
患者可能会考虑参加临床试验。
对于某些患者而言，参加临床试验可能是最好的治疗选择。临床试验是癌症研究过程的一部分。进行临床试验是为了检验新的癌症治疗方法是否安全和有效或者是否比标准治疗更好。
许多当今的癌症标准治疗法是以早期临床试验为基础的。参加临床试验的患者可以接受标准治疗法或者成为第一批接受新型治疗方法的人。
参加临床试验的患者也会有助于改善未来的癌症治疗方法。即使临床试验没有产生有效的新型治疗方法，它们也常常解答了重要的问题，有助于向前推进研究。
患者可以在癌症治疗之前，期间，或之后参加临床试验。
有些临床试验只接受尚未接受治疗的患者。还有一些试验是为癌症没有好转的患者测试治疗方法。也有一些临床试验测试阻止癌症复发或减少癌症治疗副作用的新方法。
临床试验正在全国许多地方进行。有关NCI支持的临床试验的信息可在NCI的临床试验搜索网站上找到。其他组织支持的临床试验可以在ClinicalTrials.gov网站上找到。
可能还需要随访检查。
随访检查可能需要重复一些癌症的诊断性检查和分期检查。为了检验治疗的效果，一些检查可能需要重复做。根据这些检查的结果，决定是否需要继续治疗，改变治疗方法，或停止治疗。
治疗结束后，有时需要继续做一些检查。这些检查的结果可以显示患者的病情是否已经发生变化，或者癌症是否复发。这些检查有时称作随访检查。
直肠癌治疗结束后，可能需要进行血检，测量癌胚抗原（血液里的一种物质，当有癌症时，它的量会增高）的量，看看癌症是否复发了。
Treatment Option Overview
There are different types of treatment for patients with rectal cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with rectal cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Six types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment for all stages of rectal cancer. The cancer is removed using one of the following types of surgery:
After the cancer is removed, the surgeon will either:
Resection of the rectum with anastomosis. The rectum and part of the colon are removed, and then the colon and anus are joined.
Radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may be given before surgery to shrink the tumor, make it easier to remove the cancer, and help with bowel control after surgery. Treatment given before surgery is called neoadjuvant therapy. After all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery is removed, some patients may be given radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. External radiation therapy is used to treat rectal cancer.
Short-course preoperative radiation therapy is used in some types of rectal cancer. This treatment uses fewer and lower doses of radiation than standard treatment, followed by surgery several days after the last dose.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly in the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy).
Chemoembolization of the hepatic artery is a type of regional chemotherapy that may be used to treat cancer that has spread to the liver. This is done by blocking the hepatic artery (the main artery that supplies blood to the liver) and injecting anticancer drugs between the blockage and the liver. The liver’s arteries then carry the drugs into the liver. Only a small amount of the drug reaches other parts of the body. The blockage may be temporary or permanent, depending on what is used to block the artery. The liver continues to receive some blood from the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the stomach and intestine.
The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
See Drugs Approved for Colon and Rectal Cancer for more information.
Active surveillance
Active surveillance is closely following a patient's condition without giving any treatment unless there are changes in test results. It is used to find early signs that the condition is getting worse. In active surveillance, patients are given certain exams and tests to check if the cancer is growing. When the cancer begins to grow, treatment is given to cure the cancer. Tests include the following:
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.
Types of targeted therapies used in the treatment of rectal cancer include the following:
There are different types of monoclonal antibody therapy:
See Drugs Approved for Colon and Rectal Cancer for more information.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the patient's immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or biologic therapy.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a type of immunotherapy:
Immune checkpoint inhibitor. Checkpoint proteins, such as PD-L1 on tumor cells and PD-1 on T cells, help keep immune responses in check. The binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 keeps T cells from killing tumor cells in the body (left panel). Blocking the binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (anti-PD-L1 or anti-PD-1) allows the T cells to kill tumor cells (right panel).
Immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. This animation explains one type of immunotherapy that uses immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer.
See Drugs Approved for Colon and Rectal Cancer for more information.
Other types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
Treatment for rectal cancer may cause side effects.
For information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer, see our Side Effects page.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCI’s clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups.
After treatment for rectal cancer, a blood test to measure amounts of carcinoembryonic antigen (a substance in the blood that may be increased when cancer is present) may be done to see if the cancer has come back.
根据分期选择治疗方案
有关以下列出的治疗方法的信息，请参见治疗选择概述部分。
0期（原位癌）
0期癌症的治疗可能包括以下方法：
使用我们的临床试验搜索，您可以查找在NCI支持癌症临床试验中，有哪些目前正在招募患者。您可以根据癌症类型、患者年龄和试验地点，搜索临床试验。您还可以获得有关临床试验的一般信息。
I期直肠癌
I期癌症的治疗可能包括以下方法：
使用我们的临床试验搜索，您可以查找在NCI支持癌症临床试验中，有哪些目前正在招募患者。您可以根据癌症类型、患者年龄和试验地点，搜索临床试验。您还可以获得有关临床试验的一般信息。
II期和III期直肠癌
II期和III期直肠癌的治疗可能包括以下方法：
使用我们的临床试验搜索，您可以查找在NCI支持癌症临床试验中，有哪些目前正在招募患者。您可以根据癌症类型、患者年龄和试验地点，搜索临床试验。您还可以获得有关临床试验的一般信息。
IV期直肠癌和复发性直肠癌
IV期直肠癌和复发性直肠癌的治疗可能包括以下方法：
已经扩散到其他器官的直肠癌的治疗取决于癌症扩散的部位。
使用我们的临床试验搜索，您可以查找在NCI支持癌症临床试验中，有哪些目前正在招募患者。您可以根据癌症类型、患者年龄和试验地点，搜索临床试验。您还可以获得有关临床试验的一般信息。
Treatment Options by Stage
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
Treatment of stage 0 may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Stage I Rectal Cancer
Treatment of stage I rectal cancer may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Stages II and III Rectal Cancer
Treatment of stage II and stage III rectal cancer may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Stage IV and Recurrent Rectal Cancer
Treatment of stage IV and recurrent rectal cancer may include the following:
Treatment of rectal cancer that has spread to other organs depends on where the cancer has spread.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
了解更多有关直肠癌的信息
如想了解更多来自国家癌症研究所的有关直肠癌的信息，请参见以下内容：
有关国家癌症研究所的癌症基本信息和其它资源，请参见以下：
To Learn More About Rectal Cancer
For more information from the National Cancer Institute about rectal cancer, see the following:
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:
About This PDQ Summary
About PDQ
Physician Data Query (PDQ) is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.
PDQ is a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH is the federal government’s center of biomedical research. The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature. They are not policy statements of the NCI or the NIH.
Purpose of This Summary
This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the treatment of rectal cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Reviewers and Updates
Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Updated") is the date of the most recent change.
The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Adult Treatment Editorial Board.
Clinical Trial Information
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service (CIS), NCI's contact center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
Permission to Use This Summary
PDQ is a registered trademark. The content of PDQ documents can be used freely as text. It cannot be identified as an NCI PDQ cancer information summary unless the whole summary is shown and it is updated regularly. However, a user would be allowed to write a sentence such as “NCI’s PDQ cancer information summary about breast cancer prevention states the risks in the following way: [include excerpt from the summary].”
The best way to cite this PDQ summary is:
PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Rectal Cancer Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated
Images in this summary are used with permission of the author(s), artist, and/or publisher for use in the PDQ summaries only. If you want to use an image from a PDQ summary and you are not using the whole summary, you must get permission from the owner. It cannot be given by the National Cancer Institute. Information about using the images in this summary, along with many other images related to cancer can be found in Visuals Online. Visuals Online is a collection of more than 3,000 scientific images.
Disclaimer
The information in these summaries should not be used to make decisions about insurance reimbursement. More information on insurance coverage is available on Cancer.gov on the Managing Cancer Care page.
Contact Us
More information about contacting us or receiving help with the Cancer.gov website can be found on our Contact Us for Help page. Questions can also be submitted to Cancer.gov through the website’s E-mail Us.
About This PDQ Summary
About PDQ
Physician Data Query (PDQ) is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.
PDQ is a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH is the federal government’s center of biomedical research. The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature. They are not policy statements of the NCI or the NIH.
Purpose of This Summary
This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the treatment of rectal cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Reviewers and Updates
Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Updated") is the date of the most recent change.
The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Adult Treatment Editorial Board.
Clinical Trial Information
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service (CIS), NCI's contact center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
Permission to Use This Summary
PDQ is a registered trademark. The content of PDQ documents can be used freely as text. It cannot be identified as an NCI PDQ cancer information summary unless the whole summary is shown and it is updated regularly. However, a user would be allowed to write a sentence such as “NCI’s PDQ cancer information summary about breast cancer prevention states the risks in the following way: [include excerpt from the summary].”
The best way to cite this PDQ summary is:
PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Rectal Cancer Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated
Images in this summary are used with permission of the author(s), artist, and/or publisher for use in the PDQ summaries only. If you want to use an image from a PDQ summary and you are not using the whole summary, you must get permission from the owner. It cannot be given by the National Cancer Institute. Information about using the images in this summary, along with many other images related to cancer can be found in Visuals Online. Visuals Online is a collection of more than 3,000 scientific images.
Disclaimer
The information in these summaries should not be used to make decisions about insurance reimbursement. More information on insurance coverage is available on Cancer.gov on the Managing Cancer Care page.
Contact Us
More information about contacting us or receiving help with the Cancer.gov website can be found on our Contact Us for Help page. Questions can also be submitted to Cancer.gov through the website’s E-mail Us.