Bowel Cancer Treatment

Bowel cancer treatment depends on the stage of the cancer, the patient’s overall health and on whether this is the first time being diagnosed with bowel cancer or if the cancer is recurrent. Not everyone recovers, in spite of good bowel cancer treatment and much of this depends on the cancer stage. Doctors who diagnose bowel cancer often do some of the following tests to see if the cancer is localized to the lining of the colon or has spread to lymph nodes or other body areas.

Some tests include:

• Surgery to look at lymph nodes and to remove the bowel cancer.
• CT scan of the abdomen to look for metastases and for the size of the cancer.
• CEA test for carcinoembryonic antigen. It is sometimes high in cases of colon cancer.
• MRI scan of the abdomen to look for the size of the cancer and for metastases.
• A chest x-ray to determine if the cancer has spread to the lungs.
• A PET scan can look for cancerous areas in the lungs and abdomen.

Stages

The stage of the cancer determines the type of bowel cancer treatment. The stages of bowel cancer include the following:

• Stage 0: The cancer is in situ and has not spread within the rest of the colon or bowel.
• Stage I: Cancer is formed both in the lining of the colon and into the submucosal layer of the colon.
• Stage II: Cancer is in the outermost layer of the colon but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs. Stage IIC means the cancer has spread to nearby organs.
• Stage III: Lymph nodes have become involved and other nearby areas are involved in cancer.
• Stage IV: Cancer has spread to at least one organ that is not near the colon.

Surgery

Bowel cancer treatment begins with surgery. Surgery can involve local excision of the cancer and nothing more than that. It can also involve a partial colectomy. This type of bowel cancer treatment is done when the cancer involves a larger portion of the colon. The cut ends of the colon are attached to each other. In other cases a colostomy is formed, in which the proximal end of the colon is attached to the outside. It all depends on the shape the colon is in and on the location of the cancer. Lymph nodes are removed during surgery to be examined for cancer.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is also used as bowel cancer treatment. Chemotherapy uses drugs that control the growth of cancer cells. It is taken by mouth or it is injected intravenously to get high enough doses of the treatment medication. Another form of bowel cancer treatment includes a process called chemoembolization. Chemotherapy is put into the hepatic artery so that metastatic cancer to the liver can be treated. Only a small amount of the chemotherapy is present in the rest of the body. This type of focused chemotherapy is good for stage IV colon cancer. There are a variety of chemotherapy agents used for bowel cancer treatment.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is used as bowel cancer treatment when the doctor wants to get rid of small amounts of cancer cells. External beam radiation can be used in some cases. In other situations, doctors put in radioactive seeds, wires or catheters that are put directly near the cancer or within the cancer.

Targeted therapy involves the use of monoclonal antibodies that can identify cancer cells specifically and are attached to a substance that prevents the growth of a cancer cell. There are new medications available that are directed toward bowel cancer.

Because the survival rate of colon cancer is poor in spite of bowel cancer treatment, you may wish to partake in a clinical trial regarding the treatment of bowel cancer. These are located at research facilities or at hospitals connected with researchers who are studying bowel cancer. In a clinical trial, there is always the possibility that you’ll receive a bowel cancer treatment that really makes a difference in your total outcome. Talk to your doctor about entering a clinical trial.

Written by Christine Traxler

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