I’ve Been Diagnosed With Colon Cancer. Now What?

Try as we might to prevent colon cancer, more than 106,000 cases were diagnosed in the United States in 2009. But diagnosis is not the end of the road for patients; several treatment options for colon cancer exist, including chemotherapy and surgery.

According to the A.P. John Institute for Cancer Research, 92 percent of patients who receive treatment for colon cancer in its local stage (when it is confined to the colon or rectum) are still alive after five years.  However, that number drops to 64 percent if treatment begins when cancer is diagnosed at a regional stage (when it has spread to surrounding tissue).

Treatment options for colon cancer depend on the stage of the cancer, if the cancer has recurred and the general health of the patient. Surgery is the most common form of treatment, according to the Colon Cancer Alliance. Once the stage of cancer is determined, surgery is performed to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue. Surgery can be performed through a colonoscopy (inserting a thin, lighted tube through the rectum to remove polyps and tumors), laparoscopy (inserting a tube through small cuts in the abdomen) or open surgery (a large cut in the abdomen).

Chemotherapy is an anticancer drug given intravenously or orally to kill cancer cells throughout the body or stop them from dividing. Biological therapy, used when colon cancer has spread, is another treatment option that may be used alone or in addition to chemotherapy. The patient is given a monoclonal antibody, a type of biological therapy that interferes with cancer cell growth and spreading. The antibody is administered through a vein.

Radiation treatment also exists to kill cancer cells in one area of the body with high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation. There are three types: external radiation (given through a machine), internal radiation (given via radioactive material implanted in or near the tumor) and intraoperative radiation (given during an operation inside the body).

Early diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer is essential for the highest chances of survival. To learn more about colon cancer, click here. Colonoscopies are recommended for people over 50 years old. To find a screening center near you, click here.