Colon Cancer Treatment

What is Colon

Colon is a 6 feet long tube-like organ, a very important part of the digestive tract that connects the small intestine to the rectum. Colon and rectum together comprise the large intestine, that is primarily meant for the storage and managing the waste products generated by the body. Colon also helps in absorption of the water from the food.

Colon Cancer

Cancer that begins in the colon or rectum is termed as colon cancer, rectal cancer or colorectal cancer. Mostly colon cancers are adenocarcinomas which start when mutation takes place in the lining of the wall of the colon or rectum. The cancer usually begins with the formation of polyps often called adenoma in the intestine. Polyps are the abnormal growth of tissue that become precancerous initially and then become cancerous.

Any change in the bowel habits like diarrhea, constipation and change in stool consistency, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, abdominal pain and discomfort are some of the symptoms of the colon cancer which develops at the later stage and can go unnoticed in the earlier stage. To prevent further spread of the disease and plan the appropriate treatment regime to cure cancer, staging the cancer is important.

The colon cancer can be staged as:

• Stage I: Cancer has begun but confined to the inner wall lining of the colon.
• Stage II: Cancer has spread to the organs adjacent to the colon or rectum but has not invaded the lymph nodes.
• Stage III: Cancer has invaded the lymph nodes but has not spread to distant organs of the body
• Stage IV: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes and is carried to the distant organs through the lymphatic system. Lungs and liver are the common organs to get affected first.

Colon Cancer Causes

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of Colon cancer. But the factors that increase the risk of developing colon cancer are;

• Advancing age
• Race: African and American have greater possibility of colon cancer
• History of adenomatous polyps
• Inflammation of the intestine as in ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease
• Genetic inheritance
• Any family history of colon cancer or polyps
• Dietary habits that include intake of low fiber and high fat diet.
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking, alcoholism, diabetes
• Overweight and obesity
• Exposure to radiation therapy

Colon Cancer Treatment Options

There are various treatment options for colon cancer. The treating doctor would suggest the best treatment for the patient or a combination of these depending upon the medical condition of the patient:

• Surgery:

  Surgery aims at removing the colon or rectum or a part of it affected by the cancer, with or without the adjacent lymph nodes using one of the following approaches. The type of surgery depends on the type, size, location and the extent of the cancer spread.

  1. Polypectomy:

     Polypectomy involves removal of the polyps which are small adenomatous growths that are present in the inner lining of the wall of the colon. They are removed using colonoscopy.

  2. Colectomy:

     Colectomy involves removing the part or whole of the colon with the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue. This can be done in two ways:

     • Traditional open colectomy:

       involves removal of the part or whole of the colon through a single large incision in the abdomen.

     • Laparoscopic colectomy:

       most commonly used procedure in which colectomy is done through multiple small incisions of about 5-10mm size using laparoscope and specialized laparoscopic surgical instruments.

• Chemotherapy:

  It involves giving medicines either intravenously or orally to attack and kill the cancerous cells. This therapy can be used before the surgery in order to shrink the size of the tumor or after the surgery to eliminate the cancer cells, if left any. Chemotherapy is also given to slow down the advancing cancer and to relieve the symptoms in case of extensive cancer.

• Radiation therapy:

  It involves delivery of high powered energy beams like protons or X-rays to specifically target cancer cells without or minimally affecting the normal healthy cells of the body. It can be used in combination with chemotherapy either before or after the surgery, or may be used for relieving the symptoms associated with cancer if the cancer is extensive and cure is not possible.

Colon Cancer Symptoms

In the initial stages of colon cancer, many patients show no signs or symptoms. Symptoms will likely vary depending on the size and location of the cancer in your large intestine.

Some of the typical symptoms that patients at an advanced stage exhibit:

• Consistent gastrointestinal changes, such as diarrhea or constipation, or a change in stool consistency
• Blood in your feces or rectal bleeding
• Consistent stomach pain, such as cramps, gas, or bloating
• Feeling as if your bowels aren’t totally empty
• Weakness or exhaustion
• Unexplained Weight loss

When is Colon Cancer Treatment Needed?

If you are suffering from any of the aforementioned symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately who would advise tests to confirm the diagnosis. If you are diagnosed with colon cancer, you need to start the treatment without any delay.