How Treatable is Colon Cancer?

Colon cancer is a cancer of the large bowel, which is usually viewed as a frightening problem. However, with great progress in medical science, it is a highly treatable disease, especially when its symptoms are detected early enough.

The survival rate of patients has increased exponentially during the last couple of decades, providing great hope and successful results.

Treatability Modulating Factors

Colon cancer is mostly treatable, depending on a number of important factors:

• Diagnostic Age: It is the most important aspect, no doubt. Early-stage colon cancer (stages 0, I, and II), where the tumor is localized and hasn’t spread to distant organs, boasts a very high cure rate. With the later stages of cancer (III and IV) and their metastasization, treatment is more complicated, though in this case, too, great advancements have been achieved in the treatment of the disease and prolongation of life.
• Site of the Tumour: Although it is not as influential as stage, the location of the cancer in the colon can affect methods of surgical treatment at times.
• Patient’s Overall Health: A patient’s general health, age, and presence of other medical conditions can affect their ability to tolerate various treatments.
• Tumor Biology: The response of the cancer cells to a particular therapy may be determined by a genetic mutation or other attributes of the cancer cells.

Treatment modalities and effectiveness. There are various treatment modalities, and their level of effectiveness may vary within the same age category.

Colon cancer is usually treated using a multidisciplinary approach that may incorporate a combination therapy:

• Surgery: In the case of the initial level of colon cancer, excision of the tumor and part of the adjacent normal tissue raises no cure.
• Chemotherapy: Applied to kill off post-surgical cancer cells or manage advanced cases.

Radiation Therapy: May be applied preoperatively to reduce tumors or postoperatively to kill any cancer cells that are left behind.

• Targeted Therapy: Treatments. These medicines especially attack cancerous cells and reduce the damage to normal cells with the specific genetic mutation.
• Immunotherapy: Harnesses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, showing promising results for some patients with advanced disease.

Conclusion

While a colon cancer diagnosis can be frightening, it’s crucial to understand its high treatability, especially with early detection. Screening, particularly through colonoscopies, is important in the early detection of the disease at its most curable stages.

The advent of the new level of surgical skills, coupled with innovative drug combination therapy and a suitable treatment program that is based on the individual, considerably increases the chances of colon cancer patients to achieve successful results and lead a high-quality life.

Dr. Kailash Mishra
Director & Gastroenterologist Consultant
Prime Gastro Liver Clinic