Colorectal Cancer - Treatment






The preferred method for treating colorectal cancer is surgery. Two forms of surgery are used. In one, a tube similar to a sigmoidoscope is inserted into the rectum. The tube has a light and a small knife. The cancerous region in the colon or rectum can be cut out and removed. This procedure can be used when cancer is still at an early stage.

At more advanced stages, a second surgical method may be used. In this method, an incision (a cut) is made into the wall of the abdomen. The colon is opened up and the cancerous tissue removed. Some healthy tissue surrounding the cancer may also be taken out. In this way, the doctor can be more certain that all of the malignant tissue has been removed. If there is any reason to suspect that the cancer has spread, the lymph nodes near the cancer may also be removed. The colon is then closed.

In some cases, the colon cannot be restored to its original condition. Surgery may be so extensive that the normal passageway by which wastes are eliminated from the body is closed off. In that case, the doctor may find it necessary to create a colostomy (pronounced kuh-LAHS-tuh-mee). A colostomy is an opening from the colon to the outside of the body through the wall in the abdomen. A plastic bag is attached to the opening to collect body wastes that would normally be excreted through the rectum. In some cases, patients have a colostomy for a limited period of time until their own colon heals. In other cases, they may have a colostomy for the rest of their lives.

Radiation and chemotherapy may also be used to treat colorectal cancer. These techniques are used when it is difficult to reach cancerous tissue or to make sure that all cancerous tissue has been removed. One way to provide radiation treatment is with an X-ray-like machine that gives off high-energy radiation. The radiation passes through the body and kills cancer cells. Another way to provide radiation is with pellets implanted into the colon or rectum. These pellets contain radioactive materials that give off radiation similar to X rays.

Chemotherapy consists of certain drugs that are able to kill cancer cells. The drugs may be given orally (by mouth) or by injection.

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