Colon Cancer Therapy

Colon cancer is a condition wherein cells in the colon, or large intestine, multiply uncontrollably, leading to damage and dysfunction. Per the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that there will be more than 100,000 new cases of colon cancer and nearly 50,000 colon-cancer-related deaths. If diagnosed early, colon cancer is very treatable, and can be cured in some cases. There are three basic colon cancer therapy options: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

Surgery

• Surgery may be recommended at any stage of colon cancer. Cancerous polyps, small growths of cancerous cells, may be removed individually by laparoscopic surgery if the cancer cells have not invaded the wall of the intestine. If the cancer cells have invaded the wall of the intestine, a colectomy may be performed. A colectomy is a colon cancer surgical therapy in which the portion of the colon with the cancer is removed. Some of the surrounding tissue and the lymph nodes in the area are also removed as a precaution, since the cancer may be undetected in these areas. In most cases, the healthy sections of colon can be reattached. However, it may be necessary to create a colostomy, which involves attaching a portion of the colon to an opening in the abdomen for bowel elimination purposes. Colostomies may be temporary or permanent depending on the situation. Colectomy procedures can be performed as either laparoscopic assisted or open; the laparoscopic procedure is less invasive, while the open procedure involves a large incision into the abdomen.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy drugs are used to destroy cancer cells. An article published by Cancer.gov states that fluorouracil, capecitabine, leucovorin and oxaliplatin are chemotherapeutic agents most commonly used in colon cancer therapy. These drugs are used either individually or in various combinations. Typically, chemotherapy is initiated after surgical intervention; however, it may be employed in an attempt to shrink cancerous lesions prior to surgery. According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, chemotherapy is less effective in treating late-stage or recurring colon cancer.

Radiation Therapy

• Involving the use of pulse of energy, much like with x-rays, radiation therapy is employed to directly target groups of cancerous cells. As a colon cancer therapy, radiation treatments can be used to shrink large tumors, destroy cancerous cells, or as palliative treatment to reduce discomfort. It is not uncommon for radiation therapy to be combined with chemotherapy after a colectomy in order to treat any remaining cancerous lesions which were either undetected or unable to be surgically removed. This type of colon cancer therapy is not often used in early colon cancer but has been found to be more effective as a part of a regimen for more advanced cases.