Do you know about anal cancer?
It is fairly rare, much less than colorectal cancer.
Sometimes rectal bleeding is the first sign of anal cancer, but people who have anal cancer usually think they have hemorrhoids.
Other signs and symptoms of anal cancer are pain, lump, itching and unusual discharge from the anus.
It is difficult to know what kind of disease you have when you notice symptoms around anal opening, anal cancer, colorectal cancer, hemorrhoid, fissure or inflammatory disease.
Anal cancer is diagnosed by digital examination, endoscopic test and biopsy (take small sample of tissue).
You might think that anal cancer is the same as colorectal cancer because anus and rectum are adjacent, but they are completely different and the treatment is also different.
Anal cancer is treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
If you have some symptoms around anal opening, please go to see a proctology surgeon.
Akiko