Colon Cancer Treatment Patient Information

Treatment by stage

Treatments for cancer of the colon depend on the stage of the disease and the patient's general health.

Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. Clinical trials are ongoing in most parts of the country for most stages of cancer of the colon. To learn more about clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.

Stage 0 colon cancer

Treatment may be one of the following:

1. Local excision or simple polypectomy to remove all the cancer.
2. Bowel resection.

Stage I colon cancer

Treatment is usually surgery (bowel resection) to remove the cancer and join the cut ends of the bowel.

Stage II colon cancer

Treatment may be one of the following:

1. Treatment is usually surgery (bowel resection) to remove the cancer.
2. Clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy following surgery.
3. If the tumor has spread to nearby tissue, a patient may also receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy following surgery.

Stage III colon cancer

Treatment may be one of the following:

1. Treatment is usually surgery (bowel resection) to remove the cancer followed by chemotherapy.
2. Clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or biological therapy following surgery.

Stage IV colon cancer

Treatment may be one of the following:

1. Surgery (bowel resection) to remove the cancer or to make the colon go around the cancer so that it can still work.
2. Surgery to remove parts of other organs such as the liver, lungs, and ovaries, where the cancer may have spread.
3. Radiation therapy to relieve symptoms.
4. Chemotherapy to relieve symptoms.
5. Clinical trials of chemotherapy or biological therapy.

Recurrent colon cancer

If the cancer has come back (recurred) in only one part of the body, treatment may consist of an operation to take out the cancer. If the cancer has spread to several parts of the body, a doctor may give a patient either chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The patient may also choose to participate in a clinical trial testing new chemotherapy drugs or biological therapy.

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