Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Treating Colon Cancer

Written by Maggie Hirko

Colon or Colorectal cancer is a difficult cancer to detect in its earlier stages without having a colonoscopy. Colorectal cancer can be cancer of the colon, or large intestine, or cancer of the rectum area which includes the last 4 inches of the colon. Because the cancer is difficult to detect, it is important to have a colonoscopy. That’s one of the reasons we seem to be inundated with ads and information about getting the procedure. Colon cancer seems to strike adults over 50 most often, so this is the group that is targeted with those ads. Since it is a cancer without any early warning signs it does make sense to have the one procedure that might give a person a small chance to be cured of a horrible disease. Treating Colon Cancer Let’s talk about the possible medical treatments and drugs used for Colorectal cancer. Treatment will depend on the extent of the cancer. If a small early stage cancerous polyp is found during a colonoscopy the doctor may be able to remove the complete cancer. If the cancer has gone into the base of the polyp where it fastens onto the wall of the intestine, a laparoscopic surgery may be called for. This surgery is performed through the abdominal wall with several small holes for the instruments to be inserted. At that time the doctor may also decide to take a biopsy of some lymph nodes in the area. If the cancer has advanced even further by growth into or through the intestinal wall, a colectomy may be needed. A colectomy is when the doctor removes a portion of the intestine along with some good normal tissue all around the cancerous area to make sure the entire cancerous portion has been removed. At this time the lymph nodes around the area would also be taken and tested for cancer. Frequently the surgeon is able to reconnect the healthy colon ends after the infected portion has been removed. The reconnection is not always possible when a very large section of the colon is affected, or when the cancer is at the very end of the colon where your rectum begins. Then a colostomy, either temporary or permanent, may be needed. A colostomy is when a small opening is made through your abdominal wall and connects the remaining portion of your colon to a bag on the outside of your body for the elimination of your body waste. This would be temporary if your rectum area only needed time to heal. It would be a permanent solution if the cancer was such that the area had to be removed. If your cancer is in a very advanced stage or your general health is poor, the doctor may decide on a general surgery that would relieve some of the symptoms of colon cancer. These symptoms might include bleeding, bowel blockage, or pain. Chemotherapy may be decided upon as part of the treatment in any of the above instances. Chemotherapy is the use of highly powerful drugs taken to kill cancer cells. It can be used to control tumor growth, kill cancer cells after surgery, or to relieve symptoms. Radiation therapy is also used along with chemotherapy in many cases of colon cancer. Radiation is an energy source, kind of like x-rays only more powerful, that is also used to kill cancer cells, shrink tumors, and to relieve symptoms. People with an advanced stage of cancer are sometimes given what is known as targeted drug therapy. Targeted drug therapy includes some very powerful drugs that target cancer cells and are usually used along with chemotherapy. These are only given to those in advanced stages of cancer. Before giving these drugs a doctor will consider all the pros and cons of the patient’s condition, the risks, the side effects, and the expense of the drugs. As with all cancer treatments they will help some patients and not others. Summary Colon cancer usually affects those over fifty. There are many treatments available but so much depends on the patient’s general health conditions and the way their body reacts to the cancer itself. Advanced stages of this disease can kill, and many of the treatments are harsh. But if the disease is caught in the early stages it can often be cured by a simple surgery. It is important to have your colonoscopy whenever it’s due. Then make sure to keep on top of the condition your colon is in, so you hopefully won’t ever have to try all these other procedures.

 

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