Type of treatment your doctor recommends depends largely on the stage of your cancer. The three main treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Surgery for colon cancer in early stage
If the tumor is small, localized to the polyp, and in a very early stage, the doctor may be able to completely remove during colonoscopy. If the pathologist finds cancer, the polyp does not involve the base - where the polyp is attached to the bowel wall - then there's a good chance that the cancer is completely eliminated.
Some larger polyps can be removed using laparoscopic surgery. In this procedure, your surgeon performs the operation through several small incisions in the abdominal wall, instruments mounted on the insertion of a camera that shows your colon on a video screen. The surgeon may also take samples of lymph nodes in the area where the cancer is localized.
Invasive surgery for colon cancer
If colon cancer has grown or colon, the surgeon may recommend a partial colectomy to remove part of the colon containing the tumor and a margin of normal tissue on either side of cancer. Nearby lymph nodes are usually removed and tested for cancer.
The surgeon is often able to welcome once again to parts of the colon or rectum. But when you can not, for example, if the tumor is the output of your rectum, you may need temporary or permanent stoma. This requires the creation of the hole in the belly of the remaining bowel to eliminate waste body a special bag. Sometimes the colostomy is only temporary, while allowing the colon or rectum to heal after surgery. In some cases, however, the colostomy may be permanent.
Surgery for advanced cancer
If the cancer is advanced or poor general health, your surgeon may recommend surgery to relieve a bowel obstruction or other conditions to improve their symptoms. This surgery is not done to cure cancer, but rather to relieve the signs and symptoms such as bleeding and pain.
In special cases, when the cancer has spread to the liver and only if the overall state of health is still good, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove cancerous lesion in the liver. Chemotherapy may be used before or after this surgery. This treatment may improve prognosis.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy can destroy cancer cells after surgery, to control tumor growth or to relieve the symptoms of colon cancer. Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy if the cancer has spread beyond the colon wall, or if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. People with colorectal cancer, chemotherapy is usually used in combination with radiation therapy.
Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy sources available, such as X-rays to kill cancer cells that might remain after surgery to shrink tumors before an operation so large that it can be removed more easily, or relieve symptoms colon and rectum.
Radiotherapy is rarely used in colon cancer at an early stage, but is a routine part of cancer treatment, especially if the cancer has penetrated through the rectal wall or traveled to nearby lymph nodes. Radiation therapy, usually associated with chemotherapy, can be used after surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer may recur in the region of the rectum, where it began.
Targeted Drug Therapy
Drugs that target specific defects that allow cancer cells to proliferate is accessible to people with advanced colon cancer, including bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix). Targeted drugs can be administered with chemotherapy or alone. Targeted drugs are usually reserved for people with advanced colon cancer.
Some people are helped with targeted drugs, while others do not. Researchers are trying to determine which are most likely to benefit from targeted drugs. Until then, doctors carefully evaluate the benefit of drugs targeted against the small risk of side effects and high costs when you decide to use these treatments.
Surgery for colon cancer in early stage
If the tumor is small, localized to the polyp, and in a very early stage, the doctor may be able to completely remove during colonoscopy. If the pathologist finds cancer, the polyp does not involve the base - where the polyp is attached to the bowel wall - then there's a good chance that the cancer is completely eliminated.
Some larger polyps can be removed using laparoscopic surgery. In this procedure, your surgeon performs the operation through several small incisions in the abdominal wall, instruments mounted on the insertion of a camera that shows your colon on a video screen. The surgeon may also take samples of lymph nodes in the area where the cancer is localized.
Invasive surgery for colon cancer
If colon cancer has grown or colon, the surgeon may recommend a partial colectomy to remove part of the colon containing the tumor and a margin of normal tissue on either side of cancer. Nearby lymph nodes are usually removed and tested for cancer.
The surgeon is often able to welcome once again to parts of the colon or rectum. But when you can not, for example, if the tumor is the output of your rectum, you may need temporary or permanent stoma. This requires the creation of the hole in the belly of the remaining bowel to eliminate waste body a special bag. Sometimes the colostomy is only temporary, while allowing the colon or rectum to heal after surgery. In some cases, however, the colostomy may be permanent.
Surgery for advanced cancer
If the cancer is advanced or poor general health, your surgeon may recommend surgery to relieve a bowel obstruction or other conditions to improve their symptoms. This surgery is not done to cure cancer, but rather to relieve the signs and symptoms such as bleeding and pain.
In special cases, when the cancer has spread to the liver and only if the overall state of health is still good, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove cancerous lesion in the liver. Chemotherapy may be used before or after this surgery. This treatment may improve prognosis.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy can destroy cancer cells after surgery, to control tumor growth or to relieve the symptoms of colon cancer. Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy if the cancer has spread beyond the colon wall, or if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. People with colorectal cancer, chemotherapy is usually used in combination with radiation therapy.
Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy sources available, such as X-rays to kill cancer cells that might remain after surgery to shrink tumors before an operation so large that it can be removed more easily, or relieve symptoms colon and rectum.
Radiotherapy is rarely used in colon cancer at an early stage, but is a routine part of cancer treatment, especially if the cancer has penetrated through the rectal wall or traveled to nearby lymph nodes. Radiation therapy, usually associated with chemotherapy, can be used after surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer may recur in the region of the rectum, where it began.
Targeted Drug Therapy
Drugs that target specific defects that allow cancer cells to proliferate is accessible to people with advanced colon cancer, including bevacizumab (Avastin), cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix). Targeted drugs can be administered with chemotherapy or alone. Targeted drugs are usually reserved for people with advanced colon cancer.
Some people are helped with targeted drugs, while others do not. Researchers are trying to determine which are most likely to benefit from targeted drugs. Until then, doctors carefully evaluate the benefit of drugs targeted against the small risk of side effects and high costs when you decide to use these treatments.
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