Colon Cancer Treatment

The choice of colon cancer treatment or treatments will depend on the stage of the disease and the general physical condition of the patient.

• Surgery
  Surgery is the most frequent treatment for all stages of colon cancer.
  • Local Excision
    If cancer is found before it has spread beyond the colon wall it can be removed without cutting through the abdominal wall. A laparoscope, which has a fiber-optic viewing device and a cutting and grasping tool, is passed up the rectum to the site of the cancer and cuts out and removes the tumor.

  • Polypectomy
    Local excision of a cancerous polyp or polyps is called a polypectomy. The laparoscopic procedure is the same as that for small tumors on the colon wall.

  • Colectomy and Anastomosis
    Larger tumors may require a partial colectomy, which is removal of the tumor and a section of healthy tissue surrounding it. It is often possible to reattach the sections of healthy colon, a procedure called anastomosis.

  • Colectomy and Colostomy
    When some larger tumors are removed with a partial colectomy, it is often not possible to rejoin the cut ends of the colon. In those cases a stoma (an opening in the body) is made for waste to pass through into a colostomy bag. In some cases, the colon may be rejoined after the colon has healed. When the entire lower colon has been removed the colostomy is usually permanent.

• Radiofrequency Ablation
  Radiofrequency Ablation uses high intensity radio signals emitted by a small probe to kill cancer cells.

• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
  IMRT used high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Thompson Cancer Survival Center was one of the first facilities in the world to treat patients with intensity modulated radiation therapy. Since 1998 more than 1,000 patients have received IMRT treatment at Thompson. In IMRT the multileaf collimator reshapes the treatment field between individual doses of radiation.

• Cryosurgery
  Cryosurgery uses a probe is inserted into the tumor to pump argon gas or liquid nitrogen in to freeze the cancerous cells. This treatment is principally used for Stage 0 colon cancer.

• Chemotherapy
  Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells or block their growth. In addition to the established chemotherapy drugs, Thompson is participating in a clinical trail of drug combinations for stage III colon cancer, NCCTG N0147.

• Biological Therapy
  Biological therapy for colon cancer is still in the experimental phase. This therapy uses substances made or introduced into the body to strengthen the immune system to fight cancer.