Treatment for Colon Cancer
Colon cancer mostly targets the older person therefore what type of treatment is given to the patient is very important. If cancer is detected at an early stage, then chances of the cure are more as compared to late detection. Sometimes, combination of the therapies is used to get better results.
Surgery
- When patient is identified at the early stage of colon cancer, then surgery is primarily used to treat colon cancer patient
- By colonoscopy, newly developed polyp (group of cells) can be recognized and removed completely by using colonoscope
- If tissue of colon shows tumor of advanced stage then surgically it can be removed and resectioned so that it will start normal functioning
- If tumor show metastasis then at this stage doctors may take decision of completely removal of colon
- In removal surgery of colon artificial opening is created at the abdomen called as stoma for passing waste products
- Total removal of colon can prevent the spreading of tumor to other organs
- If tumors are spread to other organs then rather than removing whole affected organ, bypass is best option
- In some cases, if cancer spreads to the liver then it is removed to avoid metastasis
Chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy is given at initial level or along with the other therapies like surgery and radiation therapy
- Medicines are given to the patient for blocking metastasis or to decrease the size of tumor or declining growth of the tumor
- The treatment of drugs given to the patient may differ at different stages of colon cancer
- Sometime after surgery, chemical treatment is given to the patient so that spreading of the tumor will stop
- The chemical drugs may be given intravenously or by injecting in to the muscles or sometime oral drugs are also provided to the patient
- Chemical drugs reach every part of the body through blood and lymph
- Patient gets chemical treatment in cycles; firstly treatment is given followed by recovery, in this way cycles of the treatment is completed
- Most of the chemical drugs show side effects which are depend on the quantity of dose given to the patient
- Most of the time anti-cancerous drugs damage the normal rapidly dividing cells like RBCs, WBCs and platelets
- Patient becomes prone to other infections due to less quantity of WBCs. Decrease in the count of the RBC causes anemia
- Hair loss is common side effect of chemotherapy
- According to research, in colon cancer, the KRAS gene get mutated therefore patient does not give positive response to the treatment
Radiation
- The cancer affected part is exposed to the high energy radiation like gamma rays, UV rays
- Radiotherapy is rarely used for treating colon cancer because colon shows constant movement therefore it becomes quite difficult to target the colon part
- This treatment is bloodless and painless
- Chemotherapy can be used along with the radiation therapy to get good results
