- Health A to Z
Healthline Premium Tools
Advertisement
Marketplace
Licensed from
|
Cancer happens when cells in your body go through changes that make them grow out of control. Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in either your colon or your rectum, which together make up the lower part of your digestive tract. It is the fourth most common cancer for both men and women. Cancer usually does not start in both the colon and rectum. But both types of cancer have a lot in common. So they are often referred to as "colorectal” cancer.
|
|
An estimated 145,290 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year. Of these, 104,950 will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 40,340 will be diagnosed with rectal cancer.
|
|
Some risk factors are out of a person's control, such as his or her age or family history. However, some risk factors — like diet and exercise — are factors a person can control.
|
|
What can you do if any of the risks for colorectal cancer apply to you? The best thing you can do is to make changes in your life that will help you control as many of the risks as you can. Here are some choices you can make that may help.
|
|
Key words adenoma aspirin colon precancerous polyps
|
|
Symptoms include a change in bowel habits; bright red or very dark blood in the stool; stools that are thinner than usual; stools that appear slimy or that have a mucous film on them; persistent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps; unexplained weight loss; constant tiredness; vomiting
|
|
Food passes through your body along the digestive tract, which includes your esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and rectum. All along this tract, food is broken down, and the nutrients and water are absorbed into the body. What's left is waste material, also called the stool.
|
|
You've just been told, "You have colorectal cancer.” That's scary to hear. However, knowledge is powerful and can help make a difference in how you handle your experience with cancer.
|
 |
Treatment for colorectal cancer is either local or systemic. Local treatments remove, destroy, or control the cancer cells in one certain area.
|
|
There are 4 major treatments for colorectal cancer. They are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and biologic therapy. Other kinds of treatment are being studied in clinical trials. One such therapy is immunotherapy. Each treatment has its own goals. Here is an overview of each type of treatment.
|
|
At first, the information you receive about treatment options may seem overwhelming. You can ease the stress by giving yourself time to gather as much information about your disease and its treatment as you can. Then you can discuss your concerns with your doctors, nurses, and loved ones.
|
|
cancer clinical trial participation older patients (Definitions of many terms related to cancer can be found in the Cancer Dictionary)
|
 |
Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. The goal of surgery is to remove the tumor from the colon or rectum.
|
|
The doctor may remove polyps by using an instrument, called a colonoscope, inserted through your anus. This is called polypectomy. If you have stage 0 or sometimes stage I colon cancer, your doctor may also suggest removing the tumor through the anus. Otherwise, your doctor may suggest surgery if any of the following situations apply to you.
|
|
Certain risks are common with any surgery. You should discuss these risks with your doctor.
|
|
The type of surgery you have depends on your health and the stage and location of the tumor.
|
 |
An advantage of laparoscopic surgery is that it causes less post-operative pain than open surgery, because the incision is smaller.
|
|
Before you go for surgery, you will meet with your surgeon to talk about the procedure. At this time, you can ask any questions and discuss any concerns you may have. This is also a good time to review the possible side effects of the surgery and to talk about its risks. You might ask if the surgery will leave scars and what those scars will look like. You might also want to ask when you can expect to return to your normal activities. After you have discussed all the details with the surgeon, you will sign a consent form that says that the doctor can perform the surgery.
|
|
This type of surgery is also called a resection. It is the most common surgery used to treat colon cancer. During it, the surgeon makes an incision in your abdomen and takes out:
|
 |
This surgery is done to treat diseases of the digestive tract. It removes part of the large and small intestines. When healed, bowel movements still occur through the anus.
|
|
This is the most common surgery used to treat rectal cancer. It is surgery that removes part or all of your rectum. Your rectum lies deeper within your pelvis and is close to your spine. This makes it difficult to get to. It's also close to other important structures like major blood vessels, your bladder, and your prostate if you're a man, and your vagina if you're a woman. Working so closely to these structures increases the risk of injuring them. If you are obese or have a narrow pelvis, surgery becomes even more difficult.
|
 |
This surgery is done to treat diseases of the digestive tract. It removes all of the large intestine. When healed, waste passes from the small intestine through a stoma in the wall of the abdomen and into a pouch outside of the body.
|
|
When you first wake up, you will probably be in pain. Your doctor or nurse will give you a painkiller for a few days to help you feel more comfortable. The pain medications will also help you get up and walk the day after your surgery, which is important for your recovery.
|
 |
You may be in the hospital for 2–7 days. Once out of the hospital, recovery may take up to 6 months, depending on the type of surgery you had.
|
|
You won't be able to eat for the first few days. Your nutrients will come through an intravenous line, called an IV, that's put into one of your veins. After a few days, you will begin a liquid diet. Later, you will be able to add soft foods and then normal foods. It may take your colon several months to adjust to the trauma of surgery. During that time, you will need to eat a low-fiber diet.
|
|
After having a section of colon removed, the biggest change you may experience is that you may not have normal bowel function. You may have more bowel movements than usual. Some people have 7 or 8 a day in the first months after surgery. And you may have a more urgent need to have a bowel movement--meaning that, once you feel the urge, you have to get to the bathroom quickly to avoid incontinence. These side effects usually improve over time. It may take about 2 years to fully adjust. Even then, you're likely to have bowel movements 3 to 4 times a day. And you may still have bowel urgency.
|
 |
During a colostomy part of the colon (large intestine) is removed or disconnected. If the large intestine was diseased, it may be removed. If it was injured, it may be disconnected for a short time while it heals, then reconnected. During a colostomy, the colon is brought through the abdominal wall. This makes an opening, called a stoma, for stool and mucus to pass out of the body.
|
|
Depending upon the type of surgery you had, your doctor may have created an opening, called an ostomy or stoma. This is a hole in your abdomen for waste to leave your body. It may be temporary or permanent. The waste flows through the stoma into a bag that collects the waste until you empty it.
|
 |
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs may be given by mouth, by injection, or a combination of both.
|
|
Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy to treat colorectal cancer in any of the following situations.
|
|
Chemotherapy works by attacking cells at different stages in their reproduction cycle. Cancer cells are rapidly dividing cells, so certain drugs can target them. But unfortunately, they also attack normal cells that rapidly divide. That means chemotherapy can have an effect on healthy cells as well as on cancer cells.
|
|
Side effects of chemotherapy are different for everyone and vary based on the drugs you receive. Below is a list of the most common side effects that come with chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Ask your oncologist and chemotherapy nurse for details about the side effects for the drugs you take.
|
|
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is a way to treat colorectal cancer. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill cancer cells by directing strong x-rays at the site of the tumor.
|
|
If you have colon cancer, your doctor may recommend radiation in the following cases.
|
 |
For colorectal cancer, the most common way to receive radiation is from a machine outside your body that emits an invisible beam. This is called external radiation.
|
|
Because radiation affects normal cells as well as cancer cells, you may have some side effects from this treatment. Many people have no side effects at all. If you do have them, your doctor may change the dose of your radiation. Or the doctor may stop treatment until the side effects are cleared up. So be sure you keep your doctor informed about the side effects you have.
|
|
Biologic therapy uses drugs that target proteins or cell functions that help cancer grow. You usually receive these drugs along with chemotherapy drugs. This therapy might be used for any of these reasons.
|
|
Your doctor may suggest biologic therapy to treat colorectal cancer in any of these situations.
|
|
The biologic therapies currently available work in one of 2 ways. They either attack specific proteins on the cancer cells. Or they disrupt a specific function that the cancer cell needs in order to grow and spread. By being targeted in their effects, these drugs tend to leave normal cells alone. But they sometimes have adverse effects on healthy cells, too.
|
|
All anticancer drugs target tumors in some way. Most conventional treatments, however, attack healthy cells as well as cancer cells. As a result, there can be serious side effects from the treatment. A new approach to cancer treatment may help reduce side effects. The new treatment is called molecularly targeted therapy. It takes a more direct aim at cancer cells. And that means less damage to healthy cells.
|
|
Side effects of biologic therapy are somewhat different for everyone. They also vary based on which drug you receive. Ask your oncologist or chemotherapy nurse for more details about possible side effects. Find out what you can do to feel better if you experience any. Below is a list of common side effects.
|
Home | About | Health Experts | Careers | Site Map | Feedback | Help | Health Tools | Tell a Friend
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2005 - 2009 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.