Information about Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage 0 Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage 0 colon cancer (carcinoma in situ) may include the following types of surgery:

· Local excision, which is surgery to remove the colon cancer without cutting through the abdominal wall.

· A polypectomy, which is surgery to remove the colon cancer from the bulging piece of tissue.

· Resection/anastomosis, which is surgery that removes the colon cancer by taking out a section of the colon and rejoining the cut ends of the colon. This procedure is done when the cancerous tissue is too large to remove by local excision.

Treatment of Stage I Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage I colon cancer is usually resection/anastomosis (removal of colon cancer by joining the cut ends of the colon) because the cancerous tissue is usually too large at this stage to be removed by local excision.

Treatment of Stage II Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage II colon cancer may include the following:

· Resection/anastomosis

· Clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy after surgery

Treatment of Stage III Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage III colon cancer may include the following:

· Resection/anastomosis with or without chemotherapy.

· Clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or biological therapy after surgery.

Treatment of Stage IV Colon Cancer

Treatment of Stage IV colon cancer may include the following:

· Resection/anastomosis

· Surgery to remove parts of other organs such as the liver, lungs, and ovaries where the cancer may have spread.

· Chemotherapy.

· Clinical trials of chemotherapy or biological therapy.

· Radiation therapy may be offered to some patients as palliative therapy (to relieve symptoms).

Treatment of Recurrent Colon Cancer or Cancerous Cells

Treatment of recurrent colon cancer depends on where the cancer has recurred (come back) and the general health of the patient. Treatment for recurrent colon cancer may include the following:

· Surgery to remove cancer that may have spread to the liver, lungs, or ovaries.

· Surgery to remove cancer cells that have recurred in the colon.

· Radiation therapy as palliative therapy.

· Chemotherapy as palliative therapy.

· Clinical trials of biological therapy or chemotherapy.