Colon Cancer Treatment

The primary goal of surgery is to remove the parts of the colon or rectum with or without the surrounding lymph nodes which are affected by cancer. The types of surgeries performed for colon cancer are as follows:

• Polypectomy: The surgical removal of polyps from the large intestine or colon is known as polypectomy. If your cancer is small, localized, fully contained within a polyp and at a very early stage, it may be completely removed during a colonoscopy by your doctor.
• Endoscopic mucosal resection: Bigger polyps may be eliminated during colonoscopy utilizing special tools in a technique called an endoscopic mucosal resection to remove the polyp and a small amount of the colon’s inner lining.
• Bowel diversion surgery: Bowel diversion surgery allows the stool to leave the body safely when the large intestine is removed or it needs time to heal. The bowel is a general term for any part of the intestine, small or big. Some procedures of bowel diversion (those called ostomy surgery) divert the intestine to an opening in the abdomen where a stoma is made. Attached to the stoma is an ostomy pouch, and worn outside the body to collect stool. Often the ostomy is only momentary, permitting healing of your colon or rectum after surgery.

Through the intervention of robotic surgery, the surgeon can perform colon resection, rectal resection, and rectopexy with improved 3D visualization and maneuverability in difficult-to-access pelvic spaces with smaller and lesser incisions.

Additionally, the improved field of view provided with robotic surgery helps the surgeon minimize trauma to important nerves which enhances the preservation of important life considerations such as urinary and sexual function.

Please visit the robotic surgery page for more information.

The use of drugs to destroy cancer cells is known as chemotherapy. For colon cancer, chemotherapy is suggested after surgery if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or if it is large. This helps kill any remaining cancer cells in the body and also lessens the risk of reoccurrence.

In some cases, chemotherapy is also used before the surgery to shrink the size of the tumor, which helps for easy removal through surgery.

Chemotherapy also helps relieve the symptoms of colon cancer. In many cases, chemotherapy is used in conjecture with other treatment protocols like radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, surgery, etc.

The use of powerful beams of energy sources such as x-rays and proton beams to destroy the cancer cells is- known as radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy is employed before surgery to shrink cancer or to relieve the symptoms when surgery is not an option. For better results, radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy.

The use of targeted drug therapy is usually reserved for patients with advanced colon cancer. Targeted drug treatments concentrate on unique abnormalities within cancer cells.

Targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cells to die by blocking those abnormalities.

Please visit the targeted therapy page for more information.

Immunotherapy is the use of a medical drug that enables the immune system to combat cancer. The disease-fighting immune system of your body may not combat your cancer, as the cancer cells release proteins that prevent the cells of the immune system from recognizing the cancer cells.

Immunotherapy works by disrupting that process. A sample for the cancer cells will be evaluated to understand whether this treatment can be effective. Moreover, immunotherapy is usually reserved for advanced colon cancer cases.

Please visit the immunotherapy page for more information.

In the early stage of colon cancer:

1. Polyps Removal During Colonoscopy

Doctors may remove polyps during colonoscopy.

If cancer is found localized within polyps, then doctors can remove it during the colonoscopy itself.

2. Laparoscopic or Robotic Surgery

If the doctor is unable to remove it during colonoscopy, then laparoscopy surgery or robotics surgery is carried out to remove cancer cells.

Advanced-stage colon cancer means the cancer is spread outside the rectum to nearby colon parts.

Advanced-stage colon cancer requires more treatment.

The first treatment is:

1. Partial Colectomy

Partial colectomy means the removal of colon parts that contain cancerous cells.

The surgeon removes that particular part which is having cancerous cells and then reconnects healthy parts of the colon.

The surgery can also be performed in a minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic way.

2. Colostomy

Colostomy means creating an alternative opening in the abdomen wall to pass stool out of the body.

Colostomy has to be carried out, if reconnecting healthy colon parts is not possible.

Colostomy may be temporary in nature to let rectum heal after surgery or in some cases it may be permanent.

In more advanced stages of colon cancer, cancerous cells are spread to distant body parts.

In these advanced stages of cancer, surgeons recommend chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy or immunotherapy.

As per the condition of the patient, the surgeon takes a call to the particular therapy.