There are several ways of treating the colorectal cancer. The doctor will explain the patient what these methods are and which is the most suitable for the patient. The most common methods of resolving the colorectal cancer are: surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery is the solution adopted by most of the patients and doctors in order to remove the tumor. If the doctor believes that the cancer can return after surgery he will prescribe chemotherapy. Chemotherapy refers to a drug treatment that kills the cancerous cells. Another method of treating colorectal cancer is radiotherapy which can be used before or after surgery.
In order to see how to treat colorectal cancer doctors must first stage the cancer. There are four stages and they all depend on how deep the cancer has infiltrated the colon's wall and if the local lymph nodes have been affected too. Stage one is the less aggressive stage for your organism. Once the cancer has reached stage four there are only a few chances for the patient to be cured.
In stage I the cancerous tumor affects only the inner layer of the colon or the rectal lining. The indicated treatment is surgery, for removing tumors and polyps. No further treatment is necessary.
In stage II the tumor has spread deeply in the inner line of the colon or rectum but has not broken through the colon wall yet. The recommended treatment is surgery with no other additional treatment after the surgery. The tumor will be analyzed in the lab in order to see whether the cancer will return or not. If the results of the analyze show that the cancer will come back then chemotherapy is recommended.
In stage III the lymph nodes got affected by the tumor. In colon cancer chemotherapy is needed after surgery; in rectum cancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy is made before or after the surgery.
Stage IV: the cancer has spread and affected other organs like lungs and liver. This means that the cancer has given metastasis. In this case chemotherapy and radiotherapy will be applied both in order to stop the rectum from being blocked. This kind of treatment is applied only for an amelioration of the symptoms and can not cure the cancer in this stage.
Doctors request chemotherapy after surgery was done because they want to make sure that every cancerous cell is being removed from the body. By surgery doctors can only remove the tumor but cancerous cells that can not be seen with the naked eye can remain in the body can create another tumor. Chemotherapy used drugs which kill these cells. Along whit this drugs, immunotherapy is applied in order to increase the power of the immune system.
If the patient has rectal cancer the doctor will probably recommend radiotherapy. Radiotherapy protects the patient against the risk of a reappearance of the cancer in the pelvic area. Sometimes radiotherapy is applied before surgery and this helps the patient by shrinking the tumor and protecting the patient from recurrence.
Of course there are side effects of this treatments but every patient is a unique person and bares differently the treatment. The doctor will tell you more about possible symptoms you might have after following this treatments.
After the treatment is done the patient should periodically present at he hospital for check-ups in order to see if a reappearance of the cancer has produced or not.
Colorectal cancer is a life-threatening disease which requires immediate medical intervention. Statistics indicate that colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer diagnosed in the United States each year. Although colorectal cancer predominantly affects the elderly, the disease can also affect young adults and even children. Oncologists sustain that early diagnosis of colorectal cancer plays a major role in overcoming the disease, as prompt medical intervention considerably increases patients? life expectancy. Thanks to medical advance, doctors can nowadays rely on various modern techniques for diagnosing colorectal cancer. Common methods used for revealing early signs of colorectal cancer are barium enemas, colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy.
Sigmoidoscopy is one of the most reliable medical procedures used in diagnosing colorectal cancer in present. Through the means of sigmoidoscopy, oncologists are able to timely detect signs of physiological abnormalities at the level of the colon. Sigmoidoscopy can be either performed with an immobile or a flexible scope, depending on the segments of the colon that require screening. However, due to the fact that rigid sigmoidoscopy provides limited visibility, doctors usually prefer using a flexible scope instead. In addition, flexible sigmoidoscopy is less likely to cause discomfort to patients. Flexible sigmoidoscopy involves using a 60-cm scope that can easily detect cancerous colonic polyps, tumors or adenomas situated in various regions of the large bowel.
Sigmoidoscopy is primarily recommended for patients that present no clear symptoms of colorectal cancer. The procedure involves very few risks and it is well tolerated by most patients. Post-sigmoidoscopy symptoms are usually mild and disappear completely within a few hours or days. Such symptoms may include abdominal pain and bloating, internal discomfort and rarely, minor rectal injuries.
Although sigmoidoscopy is a simple procedure, it is important to note that it may not be appropriate for some patients. Sigmoidoscopy is not recommended to people who have suffered bowel surgery, people with acute peritonitis or people with acute diverticulitis. In some cases, the procedure may also be contraindicated for people who have recently suffered abdominal surgery.
Before receiving an examination with the sigmoidoscope, patients are administered bisacodyl and magnesium citrate. Combined with enemas, these medications are used for preparing the large bowel for sigmoidoscopy. The preparation treatment for sigmoidoscopy is very important for increasing the visibility inside the bowel. The actual procedure is very quick and it generally causes minimal discomfort to patients. Post-sigmoidoscopy complications are also very rare.
Corroborated with colonoscopy screening and barium enemas, sigmoidoscopy is very effective in timely spotting traces of malignant activity at the level of the large bowel. Since it has been introduced in the process of diagnosing colorectal cancers, sigmoidoscopy has considerably decreased patients? mortality rate.
Groshan Fabiola has sinced written about articles on various topics from Woman Menopause, Medical Condition and Health. For greater resources on or especially about. Groshan Fabiola's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.