Treatment of colorectal cancer starts with prevention. Preventive measures include seeking regular medical care throughout your lifetime. Regular medical care allows your health care professional to best evaluate your risks of colorectal cancer and promptly screen for the disease with such tests as a digital rectal exam, fecal occult blood test, and a colonoscopy. These measures greatly increase your chances of catching the disease in its earliest, most curable stage.
Treatment plans for colorectal cancer are individualized for each person's specific case. Treatment plans are based on the type of cancer, its location, the stage of advancement of the disease and other factors.
Colorectal cancer that is found in its very earliest stage, has not spread to other organs outside of the colon, and is limited to the inside of the polyp, may be treated by surgical removal of the polyp. If colorectal cancer has gone beyond this stage or spread outside the colon, treatment may require a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
Surgery may include a colectomy, which removes the cancerous section of the colon and surrounding areas. If possible, the remaining healthy sections of the colon are then rejoined to maintain a normal passageway for stool. In some cases, such as in some colorectal cancers of the lowest portion of the colon, this may not be possible, and a passageway for stool must be made through the abdominal wall. This is called a colostomy.
In very advanced colorectal cancer, surgery may be used to clear an intestinal obstruction and help relieve symptoms, but not necessarily as a curative treatment.
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Colorectal cancer includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
Alternative treatments or home remedies that have been listed as possibly helpful for Colorectal cancer may include:
The first step in getting correct treatment is to get a correct diagnosis. Differential diagnosis list for Colorectal cancer may include:
Hidden causes of Colorectal cancer may be incorrectly diagnosed:
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Possibly curable types of Colorectal cancer may include:
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Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any prescription drug, OTC drug, medication, treatment or change in treatment plans.
Some of the different medications used in the treatment of Colorectal cancer include:
Unlabelled alternative drug treatments for Colorectal cancer include:
The following are some of the latest treatments for Colorectal cancer:
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Treatment for colorectal cancer depends mostly on the size, location, and extent of the tumor, as well as a person's overall health. Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may also be used to kill cancer cells. With new surgical techniques, treatment rarely requires a colostomy (an opening into a "bag" for passage of bowel movements). There is research being done to look at new ways to treat colon cancer. (Source: excerpt from Colorectal Cancer: NWHIC)
Treatment depends mainly on the size, location, and extent of the tumor, and on the patient's general health. Patients are often treated by a team of specialists, which may include a gastroenterologist , surgeon, medical oncologist , and radiation oncologist . Several different types of treatment are used to treat colorectal cancer. Sometimes different treatments are combined.
Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. Generally, the surgeon removes the tumor along with part of the healthy colon or rectum and nearby lymph nodes. In most cases, the doctor is able to reconnect the healthy portions of the colon or rectum. When the surgeon cannot reconnect the healthy portions, a temporary or permanent colostomy is necessary. Colostomy, a surgical opening (stoma ) through the wall of the abdomen into the colon, provides a new path for waste material to leave the body. After a colostomy, the patient wears a special bag to collect body waste. Some patients need a temporary colostomy to allow the lower colon or rectum to heal after surgery. About 15 percent of colorectal cancer patients require a permanent colostomy.
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given to destroy any cancerous cells that may remain in the body after surgery, to control tumor growth, or to relieve symptoms of the disease. Chemotherapy is a systemic therapy , meaning that the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body. Most anticancer drugs are given by injection directly into a vein (IV ) or by means of a catheter , a thin tube that is placed into a large vein and remains there as long as it is needed. Some anticancer drugs are given in the form of a pill.
Radiation therapy , also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is a local therapy , meaning that it affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. Most often it is used in patients whose cancer is in the rectum. Doctors may use radiation therapy before surgery (to shrink a tumor so that it is easier to remove) or after surgery (to destroy any cancer cells that remain in the treated area). Radiation therapy is also used to relieve symptoms. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation ) or from an implant (a small container of radioactive material) placed directly into or near the tumor (internal radiation ). Some patients have both kinds of radiation therapy.
Biological therapy , also called immunotherapy, uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. The immune system finds cancer cells in the body and works to destroy them. Biological therapies are used to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune system's natural anticancer function. Biological therapy may be given after surgery, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Most biological treatments are given by injection into a vein (IV).
Clinical trials (research studies) to evaluate new ways to treat cancer are an appropriate option for many patients with colorectal cancer. In some studies, all patients receive the new treatment. In others, doctors compare different therapies by giving the promising new treatment to one group of patients and the usual (standard) therapy to another group.
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