Colorectal cancer affects a person's digestive system. It isn't uncommon for a patient to have a history of diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, continuous nausea or rectal bleeding. If these symptoms are confirmed as pointing to colorectal cancer, there are a number of treatment options available.
Colon and Cancer Development
The colon's function is to absorb nutrients and vitamins before ridding your body of waste. It is considered part of the large intestine. The colon is also responsible for helping maintain water balance by absorbing water from waste. Certain bacteria in the colon help break down fiber to create nourishment for the colon. There is no known singular cause for colorectal cancer, but evidence points to adenomatous polyps that can form in the colon. These polyps typically start off benign but can become cancerous over time.
Resectioning
Resectioning is a surgical procedure used to treat colorectal cancer. Resectioning involves removing a piece of the colon that is cancerous but most likely hasn't spread beyond its current locale. Resectioning, for example, could be used to cut out a colon section that has a particularly large tumor causing obstruction. Surgeons would then sew back together the remaining colon section.
Radioactive Therapy
Radiation can be used to destroy colon cancer cells. It can also shrink tumors causing obstruction. When externally applied, radiation is "beamed" from a machine on a specific part of the colon. The radiation corrupts the DNA of the colon cancer cells, causing them to stop growing. In brachytherapy, radioactive materials are inserted near the cancerous areas via a catheter. They are left there until a doctor determines the therapy is complete.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used to destroy cancer cells that have spread beyond the originating colorectal cancer location. It involves an injection of chemicals into the immune system. The chemicals target specific functions of cancer cells, such as reproduction or blood vessel growth. Chemotherapy is also used to perform "clean up duty" after surgery. Chemicals aid in destroying any leftover cancer cells that may not have been seen or removed in resectioning.
Trial Therapy
Different medication and chemotherapy options are constantly in development. Patients who fit certain criteria may be encouraged to participate in drug trials to help develop these medications. Some clinical trials are tailored to stage 1 or stage 2 patients, while others may look at specific demographics. Utilize the resources below to find colorectal cancer clinical trials.
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