Colorectal Cancer Treatments From Surgery To Chemotherapy

Treatment of colorectal cancer completely depends upon the stage it is at. In its initial stages, colorectal cancer can be treated successfully. However, as the disease advances, it becomes severe and therefore, the treatment also becomes complicated. Though there are a number of colorectal cancer treatments available these days, the success rates at advanced stages still low. So, one must try to avoid reaching this stage.

The most common treatment of colorectal cancer is surgery. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are also popular treatments but they are advised according to the stage of the disease. Surgeries can also be classified in to various types, namely curative, bypass, palliative, open and close and fecal diversion. For a localized tumor, curative surgery is performed. In the early stage of surgical removal of polyp within which the cancer has developed is the best treatment. Curative surgery for the colorectal cancer involves the lower anterior resection.

When the tumor has reached the metastatic stage, palliative surgery can be performed. This surgery helps to reduce the morbidity of the tumor, resulting in to comparatively lesser pain and severity. If the tumor has enlarged to the extent that it invades the premises of other organs, doctors prefer to perform the bypass surgery of the tumor or fecal diversion through the stoma.

To avoid the worsening of the situation and bring the tumor under control, chemotherapy is performed. The metastatic stage of the tumor is the most dangerous stage and to control the tumor, chemotherapy is performed. It can be applied either after the surgery or before it.

Radiotherapy and immunotherapy are other effective treatments for colorectal cancer. Usually, radiotherapy is not used for colon cancer. It is difficult to target the particular part of the colon. However, radiation can be used for rectal cancer. This therapy is given in the metastatic stage. In case the tumor extends beyond the rectum, this therapy is given before the surgery. To increase its effectiveness, doctors also use the chemotherapy agents to perform radiotherapy.

Immunotherapy is another very common and effective therapy for treating the colorectal tumors. In this therapy, the immune system of the patient's body is used to battle cancer. The immune system is boosted and made strong enough to fight it. There are different types of immunotherapies for different types of cancers. Fighting colorectal cancer with immunotherapy is a new and effective method.

Apart from these methods, there are certain natural and alternative ways to fight colorectal cancer. In case you observe any of these symptoms, contact your doctor and get screened to avoid the worsening of disease. There are a number of colorectal cancer treatments available and it is best advised to seek them to avoid the fatal consequences of the disease.