Treatment Options for Colorectal Cancer
What kind of surgical colon cancer treatment options do I have?
Small polyps are usually removed during the colonoscopy without a
need for any incision on your body. At Stanford, larger or complex
polyps are generally removed with minimally invasive surgery that
removes the segment of colon where a polyp or polyps have been found.
That more comprehensive approach can eliminate the need for a
subsequent operation if cancer is ultimately found in the polyp. The
same operation is performed if a cancer is found on colonoscopy. Learn
more about colonoscopies.
Often, if the cancer has not spread, surgery to remove the cancerous
portion of colon is curative and no further treatment is needed. For
locally advanced tumors or tumors that have spread to other organs,
Stanford specializes in multidisciplinary surgical treatment for colon
cancer that may involve urologists, liver surgeons, gynecologic
oncologists and reconstructive plastic surgeons as necessary. They are
expert in surgical removal and reconstruction strategies to give
patients as comfortable a lifestyle as possible.
Is radiation an option to treat colon cancer?
Except in rare circumstances, radiation is not used in the treatment
of colon cancer but it is of great value in the treatment of rectal
cancers. Although colon and rectal cancers are similar in appearance,
they are in very different locations. The pelvic bones, vagina or
prostate, bladder, blood vessels and nerves that surround the rectum
make surgery for rectal cancer more challenging.
Is chemotherapy used to treat colon cancer?
Chemotherapy is typically not used for the earliest stages of colon
cancer. In some high-risk early cancers (stage II), chemotherapy may
be used after discussion with the medical oncologists. It is routinely
used for Stage III and Stage IV cancers. Advanced disease can now be
managed for many years with chemotherapy that still allows a full and
productive life.
Learn more about colon
cancer stages.
How is a particular chemotherapy treatment selected?
When selecting chemotherapy, doctors consider the stage of disease,
a patient’s general state of health and other health problems. Choice
of different chemotherapy regimens is based on evidence-based
guidelines that are determined by results of clinical trials.
At Stanford, doctors will use a tissue sample from the tumor of
metastatic colon cancers to analyze its genome—the particular set of
biochemical directions that order a tumor’s growth. Some tumors will
have a genetic profile with particular molecular pathways that can be
targeted with chemotherapy.
Doctors are continuously learning new ways to combine chemotherapies
with and without targeted therapies and new chemotherapies are
emerging. Learn more about chemotherapy.
How is treatment chosen?
Specific treatment for colorectal cancer will be determined by your
doctor based on:
- Your age, overall health, and medical history
- Extent
of the disease
- Your tolerance for specific medications,
procedures, or therapies
- Your opinion or preference
- Molecular features of your tumor
After the colorectal cancer is diagnosed and staged, your doctor
will recommend a treatment plan. Learn about Stanford's GI
Tumor Board.
Learn more about specific treatments
Your plan may involve one or more of the following treatments: