Treatments for Colon Cancer
by Beth G. Hodges, MD

Many treatments for colon cancer exist and the choice of which to use in any particular situation depends on several factors like the stage of the disease, and the ability of the patient to tolerate the treatment.

Surgery

The most common treatment for colon cancer is surgery. The surgeon goes into the abdomen and removes the cancer as well as a healthy margin of surrounding tissue, reconnects the ends of the colon, and checks the abdomen for evidence of metastatic disease (spread of the cancer to other organs or lymph nodes.)

In a very early colon cancer, sometimes only surgery is needed. Long term survival for these patients approaches 80% (that means 80% of people with early disease treated this way will be disease free).

Chemotherapy

If there is local penetration of the cancer but no metastases, chemotherapy is usually done after surgery. Odds of survival depend upon the degree of penetration and the aggressiveness of the cancer.

In a colon cancer that is not found until there are metastases, the five year survival rate is only 5% (this means only 5% of people with this stage of disease will be alive 5 years after treatment). Chemotherapy done in this situation is usually felt to be palliative as opposed to curative (control symptoms for awhile as opposed to being able to eliminate the disease totally) but there are exceptions.

Radiation

Radiation therapy is usually, but not always, reserved for rectal carcinoma.

Colon cancer treatment has progressed over the past few years, but the best treatment is prevention through careful screening.

Published - October, 2009