Treatment for Colon Cancer

Treatment for colon cancer can involve several diffent types of procedures and other treatments depending on the location, size and stage of the cancer. Like many cancers, the primary treatment types include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Which colon cancer treatment is recommended is specific to each patient and the details of their cancer.

Surgery for Colon Cancer: Most cancers of the colon will require some form of surgical treatment. Only the smallest, early tumors and polyps can be removed completely by colonoscopy. Most will require an open surgery which requires opening the abdomen to access the large intestine. If the tumor resides in a middle portion of the colon a partial colectomy may be performed. The area of the intestine with the tumor is cut out, with a rim of normal tissue around the tumor, and then the ends of healthy intestine are sewn back together.

In some circumstances, especially if the cancer involves the lower end of the large intestine or rectum, the ends of the intestine cannot be sewn back together after removing the cancer. In these cases, a colostomy may be performed. The end of the colon is sewn to the skin and an opening, called a stoma is made in the skin of the abdomen. A colostomy bag is then placed on the abdomen to collect feces. In some cases, once the colon has healed, this can be reveresed and the colon can be re-attached to the rectum and anus. However, in some cases the colostomy may be permanent.

During these procedures, local lymph nodes are often removed as well so that they can be examined for spread of cancer (metastasis). More extensive local resections of tissue may be required in advanced cases where the cancer has grown from the colon into surrounding structures.

Other surgical options which are sometimes used include radiofrequency ablation (killing of cancer cells with special radiofrequncy waves) or cryosurgery (freezing of cancer tissue).

Chemotherapy: In some cases, particularly in more advanced or invasive cancer, chemotherapy will be recommended either as a primary treatment for colon cancer or as an adjuvant to surgery and other treatments.

Radiation Treatment: Again, depending on the location, stage of the cancer and other factors, radiation treatments may be recommended to help treat colon cancer.

Other treatments: Newer treatment types may occasionally be used, particularly as part of a clinical trial. For example, targeted therapies like antibody therapy is being investigated as a potential colon cancer treatment.