The Best Colon Cancer Treatment Options
Among the most spread cancers, colon cancer usually occurs in
men and women over the age of 50. The main causes of colon
cancer are related to the patient's diet: very low in fiber and
high in fat and calories. By keeping a healthy life style and
good eating habits, you can prevent developing cancer of the
colon even before this becomes a problem. You might also want to
try and check your family history for cases of colon cancer and
adopt a healthier diet in order to make sure you will avoid this
problem in the future.
Colon cancer treatments are varied and you can choose from a
series of traditional and alternative methods of dealing with
this condition. Surgery is often the number one choice - the
surgeon removes the tumors on the colon, even if the cancer
cells are spread beyond the colon itself. This ensures less
problems in the future of the patient's life, reducing chances
of bowel problems or internal bleeding. Colon cancer surgery is
usually categorized in four main areas: rectum resection, radio
frequency ablation, colostomy and colon resection. The surgeon
will determine which method is best suited for each individual
patient. Detecting cancer at a very early stage is important, as
the problem can be corrected in a decisive and final manner. By
using a polypectomy, the surgeon will remove suspicious polyps
in order to minimize chances of the disease. Local excision may
also be used in early stages, in order to remove the cancer
cells. After surgery, your hospital should provide you with
ongoing support in order to ensure a fast and efficient
recovery.
Intra arterial chemotherapy is another treatment worth
consideration. This treatment targets tumors by delivering a
powerful dose of chemotherapy. Primary systemic chemotherapy is
often used before a surgical procedure in order to destroy a
large majority of cancer cells. Systemic therapy is usually used
with metastatic cancer, while the third method, adjuvant
chemotherapy, targets any cancer cells that might have been left
over after surgery. All three chemotherapy procedures are
delivered through the hepatic artery and are an option if the
cancer has spread to the liver.
Another choice comes from chemoembolization treatment. In
addition to being delivered intra arterially, this type of
treatment blocks the blood flow to the areas affected by cancer.
It traps the chemotherapy drugs in the area of the tumor, thus
ensuring that they work efficiently and on target.