Treatment options for colorectal cancer
Certain factors affect the chance of recovery and
treatment options
-Treatment options depend on the following:
.The stage of the cancer.
.Whether the cancer has recurred.
.The patient’s general health.
The chance of recovery depends on the following:
-The stage of the cancer
-Whether the cancer has blocked or created a hole in the colon or rectum.
-Whether there are any cancer cells left after surgery.
-The blood levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA; a substance in the blood that may be increased when cancer is present) before treatment begins.
-Whether the cancer has recurred.
-The patient’s general health.
Treatment options for colorectal cancer are:
-Surgery
-Radiation therapy
-Chemotherapy
-Biological therapy
-Surgery: Removing the cancer in an operation
-Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer.
-A small malignant polyp may be removed from the colon or upper rectum with a colonoscope.
-Some small tumors in the lower rectum can be removed through the anus without a colonoscope.
-Early colon cancer may be removed with the aid of a thin, lighted tube (laparoscope).
-Three or four tiny cuts are made into the abdomen.
-The surgeon sees inside the abdomen with the laparoscope.
-The tumor and part of the healthy colon are removed
-Nearby lymph nodes also may be removed.
-The surgeon checks the rest of the intestine and liver to see if the cancer has spread.
-The surgeon makes a large cut into the abdomen to remove the tumor and part of the healthy colon or rectum.
-Some nearby lymph nodes are also removed.
-The surgeon checks the rest of the intestine and liver to see if the cancer has spread
-When a section of the colon or rectum is removed, the surgeon can usually reconnect the healthy parts.
-However, sometimes reconnection is not possible. In this case, the surgeon creates a new path for waste to leave from body.
-The surgeon makes an opening (stoma) in the wall of the abdomen, connects the upper end of the intestine to the stoma, and closes the other end. The operation to create the stoma is called a colostomy. A flat bag fits over the stoma to collect waste, and a special adhesive holds it in place.
-Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.
-Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.
-Some people with colorectal cancer that has spread receive a monoclonal antibody, a type of biological therapy.
-The monoclonal antibodies bind to colorectal cancer cells.
-They interfere with cancer cell growth and the spread of cancer.
Treatment for colon cancer
-Most patients with colon cancer are treated with surgery. Some people have both surgery and chemotherapy. Some with advanced disease get biological therapy.
-A colostomy is seldom needed for people with colon cancer.
-Although radiation therapy is rarely used to treat colon cancer, sometimes it is used to relieve pain and other symptoms.
Treatment for colon cancer
-For all stages of rectal cancer, surgery is the most common treatment. Some patients receive surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Some with advanced disease get biological therapy.
-About 1 out of 8 people with rectal cancer needs a permanent colostomy.
-Radiation therapy may be used before and after surgery. Some people have radiation therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor, and some have it after surgery to kill cancer cells that may remain in the area.
-People also may have radiation therapy to relieve pain and other problems caused by the cancer.
www.magnahealthsolutions.com