How is rectal cancer diagnosed?

If the patient shows symptoms such as blood in the stool or constipation, difficulty in defecating, thin stools and mucus and blood stools, they should be examined by a specialist. For rectal cancer, the most convenient and simplest examination is the rectal examination. The doctor puts his finger into the anus for examination. Generally, lower rectal cancer less than 8 cm from the anus can be detected by rectal examination. However, if rectal cancer is too high, or if it is not detected by digital rectal examination, in which case it is suspected that the patient has rectal cancer or hematochezia, it is best to do colonoscopy. Of course, in addition to the above two tests, abdominal CT or MRI examination is also included. However, these tests are often performed after the patient has been diagnosed with rectal cancer to determine whether surgery is possible or to understand the extent of tumor spread.