Treatment of rectal cancer in Israeli clinics

Rectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, and the second most common cause of cancer death in men, and the third most common cause of cancer death in women.

Rectal cancer affects men and women equally, and as with most types of cancer, the risk of its development increases with age. Fortunately, morbidity and mortality from this type of cancer have been declining since 1985, due to improved prevention, screening, early diagnosis and more effective treatment. Unlike many other cancers, most cases of rectal cancer are thought to arise from benign "harbingers" of polyps, which can be progressively ignored over time, and become a cancerous tumor. In the hands of an experienced physician, more than 95% of these precancerous polyps (adenomas) can be detected at an early stage and removed during colonoscopy, effectively preventing the development of cancer in distant polyps.

Rectal Cancer Treatment in Israel

For most patients with a diagnosis of rectal cancer, the main treatment is surgery. In most cases, the segment of the colon or rectum is removed along with neighboring lymph nodes that have already undergone cancer. In the vast majority of patients, the thick or rectum can be reconnected during surgery, which avoids the need for colostomy. Colostomy, temporary or permanent, is still sometimes required for patients who are treated with progressive colorectal cancer.

Historically, patients with rectal cancer who have already spread to the liver and other organs of the digestive system (ie metastatic cancer) are often not referred for surgery. However, even patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are offered chemotherapy to increase life expectancy, a type of treatment that has shown significant progress in effectiveness. Many of these patients are currently considered candidates for surgical removal of colorectal cancer, before or after chemotherapy. In addition, many cases of this cancer that have already metastasized into the liver, lungs and other organs can now be effectively treated with various surgery combinations, ablation methods (such as radiofrequency ablation), radiotherapy and chemotherapy. All these newest treatments are available at the best public and private medical centers in Israel.

Another recent innovation in the surgical treatment of colon cancer is the use of minimally invasive methods to perform the exact same cancer surgery as before, but using modern surgical techniques that leave small incisions and reduce postoperative recovery time while ensuring a normal quality of life. The use of advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgical methods in the treatment of rectal cancer led to a more rapid recovery of patients' health after surgery, compared with standard surgical methods of treatment, and confirmed the impossibility of recurrence of cancer. For patients with rectal cancer, a broader prescription of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in combination with improved surgical techniques (for example, general mesorectal excision) is applied at a pre-operation stage, which also significantly reduced the need for a constant colostomy and the risk of recurrence of cancer in the area of a previously removed tumor .

Over the past 10 years, significant progress has been made in the treatment of rectal cancer, and new discoveries should be expected in the near future. There are many ongoing clinical trials in patients with colorectal cancer, and these trials are a source of great hope for further improving the duration and quality of life of patients diagnosed with colon cancer.