er...help?

[Paddy]

Calling all those with some medical knowledge.

I am writing a dissertation on colo-rectal cancer and i have a quick query if anyone can help?

I think around 60% of all colorectal cancers occur in the rectum - I am just thinking of a reason why...

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As the superior anal canal is lined with stratified squamous, non-keratinised epithelium and the inferior anal canal is lined with stratified squamous, keratinised epithelium...

Is the junction between the superior and inferior anal canal a transition zone? ie similar to the cervical canal where you have a change in epithelium.

If so then would it then be logical to infer that cancer pathogenesis occurs more rapidly due to the high rate of cellular differentiation?
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Thanks to all those who dare

~A very tired Patrick

[Jorden]

Woh Wohw !!! Recap...

Tried a medical encyclopedia lately? Colo-rectal what?

Look Pat, I know this is the Soap Box, but isn't this going a bit, errm, far?

Jord, just stressed... more so now I read this

[Paddy]

Cheers for your support Jord!

--
To clarify the question a bit:

In the cervix metaplasia occurs changeing columnar cells into squamous cells due to the harsh environment.

Does the same metaplasia occur in the rectum? or are the cell types completely seperate due to their differences in embryonic origin?

[SteveC]

God Pat, that really clarifies it!

Surely you must have books on it?

I'm no help (although I do know a bit about ovarian cancer as we're working with Bart's hospital on a new system for a massive 10 year country wide screening program here at work).

At a guess (I have no qualifications in Biology, apart from a C in GCSEs!) I'd say that the cells woudn't be different and the same thing occurs.

Why don't we have a vote!

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[SteveC]

God Pat, that really clarifies it!

Surely you must have books on it?

I'm no help (although I do know a bit about ovarian cancer as we're working with Bart's hospital on a new system for a massive 10 year country wide screening program here at work).

At a guess (I have no qualifications in Biology, apart from a C in GCSEs!) I'd say that the cells woudn't be different and the same thing occurs.

Why don't we have a vote!

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[Paddy]

come on Steve, only one vote now!

-
my books dont really comment, and i cant find the information on the .net.

I have emailed a pathology lecturer but she has not got back to me yet...

[Jorden]

I vote Aye!

Maybe you should go and ask in the local hospital, Pat

To me it's Greek what you're trying to ask, so no help here either

You couldn't probably look up Andrea's errrm... no... never mind

Jord.

[Alec]

Paddy, I think that you need some rest now.

[Alec]

Paddy, I think that you need some rest now.

[ALBPM]

Why is everyone stuttering in this thread.....LOL!!!!!!!!

Paul

[Greebe]

Pauly that's because GA is up to their eye teeth in unruly server maintenence.

For now all we can do is delete our hiccups

[SteveC]

...and hope the server doesn't accidentally delete more than it meant to!

Ant's words: The Overclocked 286 is not enough any more!

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[ayoub_ibrahim]

hmm, well from a purely embrylogical standpoint, the rectum & upper 2/3 of anal canal are derived from the claoca; the lower 1/3 of canal & external anal sphincter from the wall of an ectodermal pouch, the proctoderm so that would suggest a junctional change, which if I recall from the distant past was called the dentate line.
can't really say if your hypothesis of "cancer pathogenesis occurs more rapidly due to the high rate of cellular differentiation?" is false as malignant growth is usually more rapid than normal cellular turnover. remember, Burkett thought it(rectal Ca) was associated with stool volume & frequency!


[This message has been edited by ayoub_ibrahim (edited 05 January 2001).]

[ayoub_ibrahim]

sorry double post!

[This message has been edited by ayoub_ibrahim (edited 05 January 2001).]

[Paddy]

Or did he also take pictures of the "large, soft" bowel movements?

He did indeed!

Cheers Paul, i will give HotBot a whirl and post the results...


or perhaps not