Treatment methods for colon cancer
Suppose the shocking diagnosis of colon cancer has been made. Despair and sorrow are fighting for precedence. But the treatments are also starting. Doctors will do everything they can to help you as best as possible. You can read more about the what and how of possible treatments below.
Anyone who is told that he or she has colon cancer will have to deal with a lot in a short period of time. Not only do you have to let this heavy message get through to you with your surroundings, but you will also be treated as quickly as possible.
Stage of the disease
After a diagnosis of colon cancer, doctors will often first want to learn more about the stage of the disease. This requires additional research, for example via a CT scan, an MRI scan or an ultrasound.
With these examinations, the size of the tumor and possible metastases in lymph nodes and other organs are examined. A treatment plan is then drawn up to cure you or – if that is not possible – to reduce your complaints and/or inhibit the disease.
Below you can read the most common treatments. Other, sometimes newer forms of treatment include Radiofrequency Thermoablation (RFA, heating cancer cells), cryosurgery (freezing cancer cells), laser therapy and embolization (closing off blood vessels that supply a tumor with blood).
Operation
Surgery by a surgeon is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. In surgery, the surgeon removes the tumor plus apparently healthy tissue, glands, and vessels near the tumor. The latter increases the chance that all cancer cells are really gone.
Other doctors look at the apparently healthy tissue removed for the presence of cancer cells. If it turns out that those cells are indeed there, additional treatment with chemotherapy is required.
After the operation there may be complaints, for example with defecation. Some complaints diminish or disappear over time, others do not. Talk to your doctor about what you can do about persistent problems.
irradiation
Radiation with radioactive radiation is mainly used for tumors in the rectum. The purpose of radiation is to destroy the cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. The latter does not always work, but fortunately healthy cells usually recover quickly.
Radiation, also called radiotherapy, takes place from the outside, ie through your skin. The radiation oncologist calculates exactly how much radiation you need and divides that amount over a series of radiation treatments.
In rectal cancer, irradiation mainly takes place as pre-irradiation, i.e. irradiation is performed prior to surgery. Radiation can also be used during surgery for other types of colon cancer.
Because healthy cells can also be affected, radiation can have side effects, such as problems with defecation and urination, skin reactions and fatigue.
Medicines
The treatment with drugs called cytostatics is called chemotherapy. These drugs aim to kill the cancer cells or inhibit cell division. There are many different cytostatics, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), capecitabine, tegafur/uracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin.
The treatment with medicines mainly takes place if you have been diagnosed with metastases. These can be metastases in the lymph nodes, but also in the liver or lungs. Medicines can be administered in a number of courses in the form of an IV, tablet or injection. These drugs spread through your body through your blood and thus reach the cancer cells.
In advanced colorectal cancer, this chemotherapy is sometimes supplemented with treatment with other drugs, so-called monoclonal antibodies. Antibodies are substances produced by your immune system. They can recognize and ‘attack’ bacteria or viruses.
Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that have been counterfeited in a laboratory. Sometimes these substances can be used as medicine. There are two monoclonal antibodies used in the treatment of colon cancer: bevacizumab and cetuximab.
Chemotherapy treatment often has side effects, because the drugs also reach healthy cells. Examples of such side effects are hair loss (often not complete baldness), nausea, vomiting, intestinal disorders and fatigue. In particular, discuss serious side effects with your doctor, who may sometimes adjust the dose or prescribe other medications.
