Colon Cancer Symptoms and Stages

11. Treatment options

Treatment differs depending on the type of colon cancer and how far it has spread. During early-stage colon cancer, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery can remove polyps that a colonoscopy is unable to remove. During later stages, a colectomy can remove cancerous portions of the colon and reconnect healthy parts. If reconnection is impossible, surgery is necessary to provide a means for waste to exit the body into a colostomy bag.

Chemotherapy is often part of pre or post-surgery treatment plans for stage 3 colon cancer. Strong medicines are administered to shrink cancers or kill lingering cancer cells. Sometimes, chemo is used with radiation therapy—instead of medication, energy beams are used to kill cancer cells. At stage 4, immunotherapy helps the immune system find and kill cancer cells. At an advanced stage, the focus may shift to symptom relief and palliative care.