Treatment depends on staging of cancer. When colorectal cancer is
caught in the early stages (with little spread) it can be cured. However, when
detected at later stages (when distant
less likely to be curable.
Surgery remains the primary treatment, chemotherapy and / or radiotherapy
May be recommended depending on the individual patient's staging and other
medical factors.
Surgical treatment is by far the most likely result in the treatment of colon cancer, if
tumor is localized. Very early cancer that develops within a polyp can often be cured
removal of polyps during colonoscopy. More advanced cancers typically
require surgical removal of the colon containing the tumor leaving
sufficient margin to reduce the likelihood of re-growth. If possible, the remaining parts
colon are anastomosed together to create a functioning gut. In cases where
anastomosis is not possible, stoma (artificial opening) is created. While the operation
usually do not offer if significant metastasis is present, surgical removal of isolated
liver metastases is common. Improved chemotherapy has increased the number of
Patients who are offered surgical removal of isolated liver metastases.
Laparoscopic assist resection of colon cancer can reduce the size of the painful
incision and reduce the risk of infection.
As with any surgical procedure, colorectal surgery can in rare cases lead to
complications. This can include infection, abscesses, fistulas, or bowel obstruction.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used to reduce the likelihood of metastasis developing, shrink
tumor size or slow tumor growth. Chemotherapy is often given after surgery
(adjuvant), before surgery (neo-adjuvant), or as primary therapy if surgery is not
indicated (palliative). treatments listed here have been shown in clinical trials to
improve survival and / or reduce mortality and have been approved for use by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.
Adjuvant (after surgery) chemotherapy. One regimen involves the combination of
infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX)
5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
Leucovorin (LV)
Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin ®)
Capecitabine (Xeloda ®)
Chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Commonly used first line regime to include
combination of infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX)
with bevacizumab or infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan (FOLFIRI)
with bevacizumab
5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
Leucovorin
irinotecan
Oxaliplatin
bevacizumab
Cetuximab
Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy is used to kill tumor tissue before or after surgery or when
Surgery is not indicated. Sometimes chemotherapy agents are used to increase
effectiveness of the radiation sensitivity of tumor cells if present. radiation is not
used routinely in colon cancer, because it could lead to radiation enteritis, and
difficult to target specific parts of the colon, but can be used to metastasis
tumor deposits if they compress vital structures and / or cause pain. There May be
role for post-operative adjuvant radiation in case of tumor perforates
colon as judged by the surgeon or pathologist. However, as the area before
tumor site may be difficult (if not impossible) to ascertain from the images, surgical clips
should be left in the colon radiotherapist focus on risk areas.
Immunotherapy
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is gaining prominence as an additional
theraputic agent in the treatment of colorectal cancer crijeva.Pregled results
Recent clinical trials is shown in Mosolits et al.
Support Therapies
diagnosis of cancer often results in huge changes in patients
psychological well-being. Various support resources are available, hospitals and
other agencies that provide counseling, social service support, cancer support
groups, and other services. These services help alleviate some of the difficulties
integration of patient complications in other parts of their lives.