Colon Cancer 4 Stages
Colon cancer stages define the type of the patient’s treatment. Hence, different types of treatments are available for patients with colon cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials.
Colon Cancer 4 Stages - Treatment Options for Colon Cancer
Treatment of stage 0 (carcinoma in situ) may include the following types of surgery:
- Local excision or simple polypectomy.
- Resection and anastomosis. This is done when the tumor is too large to remove by local excision.
Treatment of stage I colon cancer usually includes the following:
- Resection and anastomosis.
Treatment of stage III colon cancer may include the following:
- Resection and anastomosis which may be followed by chemotherapy.
- Clinical trials of new chemotherapy regimens after surgery.
Treatment of stage IV and recurrent colon cancer may include the following:
- Local excision for tumors that have recurred.
- Resection with or without anastomosis.
- Surgery to remove parts of other organs, such as the liver, lungs, and ovaries, where the cancer may have recurred or spread. Treatment of cancer that has spread to the liver may also include the following:
- Chemotherapy given before surgery to shrink the tumor, after surgery, or both before and after.
- Radiofrequency ablation or cryosurgery, for patients who cannot have surgery.
- Chemoembolization of the hepatic artery.
- Radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be offered to some patients as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
- Chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody or an angiogenesis inhibitor.
- Immunotherapy.
- Clinical trials of chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy.
Today, when people are diagnosed with cancer, they usually receive the same treatment as others who have the same type and stage of cancer. Even so, different people may respond differently, and, until recently, doctors didn’t know why. After decades of research, scientists now understand that patients’ tumors have genetic changes that cause cancer to grow and spread. They have also learned that the changes that occur in one person’s cancer may not occur in others who have the same type of cancer. And, the same cancer-causing changes may be found in different types of cancer.
Precision medicine helps doctors select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease. In Precision Medicine, patients that share the same genetic changes (mutations) receive the same medicine or treatment. Using those genetic changes, health care providers can provide more precise treatment is known as precision medicine.
Even though researchers are making progress every day, the precision medicine approach to cancer treatment is not yet part of routine care for most patients. Many new treatments designed to target a specific change are being tested right now in precision medicine clinical trials Some clinical trials are accepting patients with specific types and stages of cancer. Others accept patients with a variety of cancer types and stages. To be eligible for precision medicine trials, the patient’s tumor must have a genetic change that can be targeted by a treatment being tested.
The information contained on this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, you should always consult a qualified healthcare professional. Cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabis plant constituents should not be used as a substitute for conventional medical care. CBD and other cannabis plant constituents may interfere with medical treatment.
Colon Cancer Treatment “ (PDQ®)–Patient Version was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”
PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Colon Cancer Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <05/15/2019>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/colorectal/patient/colon-treatment-pdq. Accessed <12/11/2019>. [PMID: 26389319]