Can long-term hemorrhoids cause cancer? I have had hemorrhoids for 5 years, not too uncomfortable but I am worried because many people say that prolonged hemorrhoids can cause cancer?
Answer:
MSc Ngo Hoang Kien Tam (Center for Endoscopy and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tam Anh General Hospital) said that hemorrhoids are benign diseases, while cancer is malignant disease. There are usually two types of hemorrhoids: symptomatic hemorrhoids and pathological hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids are pathological when there are favorable factors that cause hemorrhoids to expand and become larger.
Symptomatic hemorrhoids often have nearby cancers such as anal cancer, rectal cancer that prevents the hemorrhoid venous return, causing the hemorrhoid to enlarge for a long time.
Hemorrhoids cannot turn cancerous, but cancer can cause hemorrhoid symptoms. When hemorrhoids are pathological, there are indications for treatment.
According to Dr. BS Do Minh Hung (Director of Center for Endoscopy and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Tam Anh General Hospital), internal hemorrhoids usually have 4 levels (1, 2, 3, 4), depending on The extent to which the doctor will have different treatment methods. In principle, the patient should first change the way he eats and build a healthy diet to prevent the factors that promote and aggravate the disease.
With conservative treatment, the patient can take medication. There are many medications for hemorrhoids, but most of them are just supportive. If it is more severe, the doctor can intervene with procedures such as elastic band therapy, sclerotherapy of hemorrhoids, hemorrhoidectomy…
Ngoc An
.
