Treatment Options for Colon Cancer
| Date Posted: 8/5/2011 | Author: Chris Whitesell
There are a variety of very successful treatment options available for those patients who have been diagnosed with colon cancer. The type of treatment that your physician and oncologist recommend depends primarily on the stage of the cancer. Often, two or more types of treatment will be combined at the same time or used one after the other for best results.
The four types of standard treatments used for colon cancer include:
Surgery: The most common treatment for all stages of colon cancer, surgery can be used to treat the disease as well as to preserve the normal function of the organ. There are a variety of surgical procedures that can be used to remove the cancer within the colon. Laparoscopic options that are minimally invasive are available as well.
Chemotherapy: This treatment involves the use of powerful drugs administered intravenously by injection or pump. Chemotherapy can be given in conjunction with surgery, radiation, or another therapy.
Radiation therapy: With this treatment, patients receive high doses of radiation to target and destroy cancerous cells within the colon. Radiation is most often used in conjunction with chemotherapy in treating colon cancer and it can also be used to destroy any cancerous cells that may be left behind after surgery.
Biological therapy: As we learn more about the gene and protein changes in cells that cause cancer, researchers have developed new drugs that specifically target these biological changes. Monoclonal antibody therapy is a type of this targeted therapy that is used to treat colon cancer.
The FirstHealth Cancer Services offers some of the most innovative and advanced medical treatments available for colorectal cancer. Located in Pinehurst, NC, we use the latest research, treatment, technology, and quality care to fight all stages of cancer.
