Types of Cancer > Colorectal Cancer > Treatment

Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the primary ways to treat colorectal cancer. Targeted therapies known as monoclonal antibodies also are used along with chemotherapy. Patients may undergo one or more types of treatment, depending on the stage of the disease. Patients who qualify also have access to a variety of clinical trials.

Surgery for Colon Cancer
Most patients with colon cancer undergo surgery. This usually involves removing a length of normal colon on either side of the tumor, the cancer, and some lymph nodes. Physicians connect the two ends of the colon. People with colon cancer do not generally need a colostomy (an opening in the abdomen to eliminate body waste), although they may have a temporary colostomy. Minimally invasive surgical procedures such as the laparoscopic removal of the colon also can be used to treat colon cancer.

Surgery for Rectal Cancer
Although surgery is the main treatment for rectal cancer, some patients may have radiation and chemotherapy before surgery. The type and extent of the surgery depends on the location and stage of the disease. While many patients with rectal cancer will require a colostomy, preoperative chemotherapy and radiation, along with newer surgical techniques, are reducing the need for colostomy.

Radiation Therapy for Colon and Rectal Cancer
Radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor if the size or location of the cancer makes surgery difficult. Radiation can also kill cancer cells not seen during surgery. Radiation may also be used to ease symptoms of advanced cancer.

For colon cancer, radiation therapy is often used when the cancer has attached to an internal organ or the lining of the abdomen. The radiation destroys cancer cells that may have been left behind after surgery. For rectal cancer, radiation therapy may be used to treat and prevent the cancer from coming back, and to treat local recurrences.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy after surgery increases the cure rate for patients with early colorectal cancer. In more advanced cases, chemotherapy reduces the symptoms of cancer and prolongs survival.

While undergoing chemotherapy patients often experience fatigue. However, if patients experience other symptoms, they should call a physician or nurse right away. See When to Call - A Guide to Understanding Symptoms from Chemotherapy to learn more.

Antibody Therapy
Manmade proteins called monoclonal antibodies, along with chemotherapy drugs, are being used to treat colorectal cancer. Antibody therapies are targeted methods that attack parts of the cancer cells that make them different from normal cells.