Colon Cancer Treatment

Colon Cancer: Innovative Solutions For Treatment in India

Colon cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon. The colon is the first and the longest part of the large intestine. Colon cancer mainly affects older adults, but it can occur at any age.

Colon cancer usually begins as small polyps inside the colon. Polyps are not usually cancerous, but some can turn into colon cancer over time.

If you are struggling with colon cancer and looking for the best colon cancer treatment options, India is the right place for patients. Due to the presence of state-of-the-art facilities and the latest treatment options, the success rate of the treatment here is high.

We will also tell you how to get the best treatment for colon cancer in India.

How does colon cancer start?

Your colon wall comprises layers of mucous membrane, tissue, and muscle. Colon cancer starts in your mucosa, the innermost lining of your colon.

Over time, colon polyps may become cancerous. (Cancer usually takes about 10 years to form in a colon polyp.) Left undetected and untreated, the tumor works through a layer of tissue, muscle, and the outer layer of your colon.

What are the different types of colon cancer?

The most common type of colon cancer starts from adenocarcinomas. It forms within the cells that make mucus in the colon or rectum.

Less common colon cancers are:

Lymphomas: They can form in the lymph node or the colon first.

Carcinoids: These start in the hormones that make cells in your intestine.

Sarcomas: It forms in soft tissues such as muscles in the colon.

 Symptoms and Signs of Colon Cancer

The symptoms of colon cancer are:

• Diarrhea
• Changes in stool consistency
• Blood in the stool
• Bright red bleeding from the rectum
• Abdominal pain, cramping and bloating
• Continuous urge to pass stools
• Weakness and fatigue
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Unexplained weight loss
• Iron deficiency or anemia

Stages of Colon Cancer

Stage 0: It is known as carcinoma in situ and is a very early stage. When cancer has not grown farther than the inner layer of the colon, it is easy to treat.

Stage 1: the cancer has spread to the next layer of the tissue

Stage 2: Cancer has reached the outer layers of the colon but has not spread to the colon.

Stage 3: Cancer has spread to the outer layer of the colon and has reached one of the three lymph nodes.

Stage 4: Cancer has spread to different parts of the body.

What is the reason behind colon cancer?

• Cancer happens due to changes in DNA in the cells, resulting in multiple gene changes and thus leading to colon cancer.
• Polyps can also be the cause of colon cancer.
• Adenomatous polyps (non-cancerous) have an increased risk of developing colon cancer.

Who is at risk?

People who are at an increased risk of colon cancer are:

• Patients > 50 years
• African ethnic group
• A patient with a history of polyps or colorectal cancer
• Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis
• If you have inherited syndromes like familial adenomatous polyposis or Lynch syndrome
• Family history of colon cancer
• People who take low-fiber and high-fat diet

Other major lifestyle causes

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Having a diet that includes processed meat

How is colon cancer diagnosed?

The tests to diagnose colon cancer include:

• CBC ( Complete Blood Count)
• CMP ( Comprehensive Metabolic Panel)
• CEA ( Carcinoembryonic antigen assay)
• X rays
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• PET scan
• Ultrasound
• Biopsy

Treatment Options Available in India

Surgical Procedures:

Colon Cancer surgery is the most common treatment for this type of cancer. The different types of surgeries are:

Polypectomy: This latest Colon Cancer Surgery involves the removal of cancerous polyps.

Minimally Invasive Colon Cancer Surgery or Laparoscopic Surgery: This type of surgery removes polyps that cannot be removed during a colonoscopy. In this procedure, the surgeon makes several small cuts called incisions in the abdominal wall. Instruments attached with cameras pass through these cuts and show the colon on a monitor.

Partial Colonectomy: This involves removing the cancer section of the colon and some surrounding healthy tissue. The remaining healthy section of the colon is reconnected to the rectum. The procedure can be done using a minimally invasive technique known as laparoscopy.

Total Colectomy: A total colectomy is when the entire colon is removed. It is not needed to remove colon cancer, but it is mostly done if there is a problem in other parts of the colon, like hundreds of polyps.

Colectomy, one of the colon cancer treatments, is done in two ways:

Open Colectomy: The surgery is done using a single long incision in the belly.

Laparoscopic: Laparoscopic Colon Cancer Surgery uses many small incisions, and a laparoscope with a small camera is inserted through the small cuts to help the surgeon see the colon.

Robotic Surgery for Colon Cancer: Robotic surgery for Colon Cancer is a minimally invasive technique that uses robotic assistance for precise tumor removal.

If Colon is blocked:

Surgical Resection with Colostomy: In this procedure, the surgeons remove the section of your colon that contains the tumor. If connecting a healthy colon to the rectum is not possible, the doctors create an opening ( Stoma) in the abdominal wall from the leftover intestine. This procedure is also known as ostomy. It allows stool to leave the body into a bag that fits in the opening.

Sometimes, the end of the small intestine is connected to the stoma in the skin. It is called ileostomy. Either way, the bag sticks to the skin around the stoma to hold the stool.

Sometimes, the opening is for a short time to let the colon or rectum heal after the surgery. Then, it is reversed to attach the ileum to the colon after 2 to 6 months. Sometimes, ostomy cannot be reversed because the tumor can’t be removed, so the bag stays for life.

Medical Management :

Radiofrequency Ablation: This procedure uses heat to destroy the cancer cells.

Adjuvant therapies are combined with the surgery like:

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy drugs or chemicals are used to shrink tumors and ease the symptoms of colon cancer.

Targeted Therapy: This treatment uses medicines that attack certain chemicals in the cancer cells. By blocking these chemicals, targeted treatment causes cancer cells to die.

Immunotherapy is a treatment with a medicine that helps the body’s immune system kill cancer cells. Immunotherapy helps immune system cells find and kill cancer cells. It is used in the treatment of advanced-stage colon cancer.

Palliative Care: People with cancer need support and care, no matter what journey they are on. Knowing all the options will help you make an informed decision. Palliative care is supportive care that will help you understand your diagnosis, treatment options, and ways to maintain your quality of life.

Treating Cancer Stage Wise

Stage 0: Taking out the polyp or the area of cancer with a colonoscope. A partial colectomy is recommended if the tumor is too big to be removed via colonoscopy.

Stage 1: Partial Colectomy

Stage 2: Partial Colectomy along with removal of nearby lymph nodes. In certain cases, therapy before surgery may be recommended if the cancer is not operable. The neoadjuvant therapy can be either immunotherapy or chemotherapy, depending on the type of tumor.

Stage 3: Surgery to remove the section of the colon with the cancer (partial colectomy), along with nearby lymph nodes, followed by adjuvant chemo, is the standard treatment for this stage.

For advanced colon cancer, which surgery, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy cannot remove, it is recommended before the surgery to shrink the tumor.

For the cancer that has been removed by the surgery but is found attached to a nearby organ, radiation therapy is done.

Stage 4: Most patients with stage 4 cancer will get chemotherapy or targeted therapy to control the cancer. Surgery is recommended in cases where cancer has spread to a few areas in other organs like the liver or lungs.

How can you prevent colon cancer?

You cannot completely prevent cancer. However, you can reduce its risk by taking the following preventive measures:

• Decrease your intake of red and processed meat
• Eat more plant-based food
• Decrease dietary fats
• Lose that extra weight
• Quit smoking
• Decrease your stress
• Manage your diabetes

Prognosis

We understand it can be extremely stressful to get colon cancer. Here is a table showing the overall prognosis of colon cancer:

We will help you to find the best Colon Cancer Treatment Doctors in India.