The colon cancer treatment methods differ from patient to patient.
The most suitable colon cancer treatment method is opted depending on the stage of the cancer and the condition of the patient.
The major cause of colon cancer is the presence of polyps in the large intestine or the colon, these polyps should be initially removed through surgery in order to prevent them from getting cancerous.
Colon cancer may or may not show any symptoms in the early stage but if any symptoms are predicted then it is important to start the treatment immediately.
However irrespective of whether the symptoms are shown or not regular screening tests should be performed for people with high risk of developing the disease. The screening tests show if any abnormal growth in the colon.
There are different types of colon cancer treatment methods for patients with the disease. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. Three types of standard treatment are used. These include the following:
Colon Cancer Treatment with Surgery
Surgery involves removal of the cancer in an operation and is the most common treatment for all stages of colon cancer. A doctor may remove the cancer using different types of surgical methods.
Some of them may be the Local excision which involves the removal of the cancer by inserting a tube into the colon through the rectum, this leaves the abdominal wall uncut. The surgery which involves the removal of the polyp in which the cancer is found then it is termed as polypectomy.
Resection and colostomy are the other methods of surgery in which the surgery is performed when the colon cancer is larger. The partial colectomy involves the removal of the cancer and a small amount of healthy tissue around it. These two surgical procedures at times may be performed individually or may be done in combination depending on the stage of the cancer.
Cryosurgery is the colon cancer treatment which uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue, such as carcinoma in situ. Radiofrequency ablation uses a special probe with tiny electrodes that kill colon cancer cells
The purpose of this colon cancer treatment is Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. This method may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor or after surgery or to relieve symptoms of colon cancer and rectal cancer.
The radiation therapy is of two types mainly the external radiation therapy and the internal. The goal of radiation therapy is to damage the tumor without harming the surrounding tissue
Colon Cancer Treatment with Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. Chemotherapy can be used to destroy cancer cells after surgery, to control tumor growth or to relieve symptoms of colon cancer.
Chemotherapy is of two types the systemic and the regional. In some cases chemotherapy may be used in combination with the radiation therapy and surgery as well for better results.
The other available colon cancer treatments include the chemoembolization and the biologic therapy. The former colon cancer treatment method is used to treat cancer that has spread to the liver.
Biologic therapy is a treatment that uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. (Alternative Colon Cancer Treatment)