Treatment methods for bowel/colon cancer vary with patients. There are different methods of treatment available of which some are currently practiced and some which are under clinical trials. Such clinical studies will prove whether a treatment method is more efficient than that has been practiced so far. The standard treatments for bowel cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery
Surgical treatment for bowel cancer includes removal of cancer affected part from the body. This is the most common type of treatment method for colon cancer. Different types of surgery are practiced now days and include:
- Local excision: This procedure involves removal of affected region from rest unaffected part. Doctor cuts off the region from abdominal wall. The method is also known as polypectomy if the region to be excised is in a polyp or small mass of tissue.
- Resection: This is done in case of large cancer affected areas. Doctor will remove the affected colon part along with adjacent healthy tissue. Then the ends are sewed (anastomosis) to continue normal body processes.
- Resection and colostomy: This procedure is done in patients where the doctor will not be able to sew both ends of colon. A small opening or stoma will be created in the colon to expel waste particles from body. The process is known as colostomy. To collect the waste materials, in some cases, a bag will be placed near stoma.
- Radiofrequency ablation: This method uses specialized electrodes to kill cancer cells. In some cases, the electrodes have to be placed inside abdomen through minor surgery. This will be done in hospitals under general anesthesia.
- Cryosurgery: An instrument that kills cancer cells by freezing will be placed inside abdomen by surgery
Chemotherapy
This is another method to treat cancer using drugs or by killing caner affected cells directly with chemicals. Chemotherapy is done either by administering drugs orally or through veins. There are certain types of drugs that prevent cancer cells from dividing. Systemic chemotherapy is carried out by injecting drugs through blood stream. If the drugs are given directly to affected organs or spinal cord, the procedure is known as regional chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a treatment method that uses high energy ionizing radiations like X-rays to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy, of which one delivers radiation from outside body and the other directs radiation producing needles, wires and seeds to the affected area. |