Cancer depending on where it manifests itself in the body. Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, is cancer that occurs in the colon and digestive tract. Colon cancer screening is done via multiple steps. The screening process can range from simple physical examination to blood tests to colonoscopies and biopsies. If required, the doctor may also order a CT scan, PET scan, MRI and/or ultrasound of the abdomen.

The treatment for colon cancer will completely depend on the stage of cancer that the patient has been diagnosed with.

Treatment for Stage 0 colon cancer
Stage 0 colon cancer means that cancer has not grown beyond the colon’s inner lining. At this stage, more often than not, surgery is recommended. If the tumor is small, it is usually removed via a colonoscopy. If the tumor is big, then partial removal of the colon is performed.

Treatment for Stage 1 colon cancer
Stage 1 colon cancer means that the tumor has deeply penetrated the layers of the colon wall, but it has not spread outside the wall of the colon. In such a surgery is recommended. Depending on how large the tumor is, colonoscopy or partial colectomy (removal of the area that has the tumor as well as the lymph nodes adjoining it) is conducted.

Treatment for Stage 2 colon cancer
Stage 2 colon cancer normally means that the tumor has grown outside the wall of the colon and spread into the nearby tissues. However, it has not yet affected the lymph nodes. In this case, the doctor will again recommend partial colectomy. Moreover, he may recommend chemotherapy, especially if he feels that cancer has a bigger risk of relapsing. If the doctor does recommend this, one must make sure to understand the positives and negatives of chemotherapy and how much will it really prevent a relapse, before you actually proceed with it.

Treatment for Stage 3 colon cancer
Stage 3 colon cancer means that the tumor has spread inside the colon, outside its walls, and to the adjoining lymph nodes. However, it has still not affected the other parts of the body. Surgery followed by chemotherapy is the treatment normally recommended for this stage. If the patient is too weak for surgery, the doctor may recommend a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Treatment for Stage 4 colon cancer
Stage 4 colon cancer means that the tumor has spread to multiple organs and tissues beyond the colon. Colon cancer mostly spreads to the liver. At times, it could also affect the lungs and abdominal lining. If the organs affected have small pockets of cancer cells, then the patient will have to undergo multiple surgeries to have each of those tumors removed. Chemotherapy is also required after the surgery. If the tumor has spread to bigger areas of the organs, then surgery is unlikely to cure it. In such cases, radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be used to shrink the tumors. If the tumors shrink, then surgery could be performed to remove them.

Treatment for recurrent cancer
Recurrent cancer means that colon cancer has relapsed or returned after being fully treated. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy may be some of the treatment options used to cure such a relapse.

While there are multiple forms of treatments available for colon cancer, it is important to fully understand the pros and cons of each method prior to opting for any of them. This is will help one make an informed decision.