Colorectal cancer is known in other terms as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer that affects the colon area. Usually, it will spread to other regions of the body.
Symptoms
- Change in bowel habits
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Blood in stool
- Blood from rectum
- The feeling of fullness in the abdomen
- Fatigue
- Sudden weight loss
- Lump in the abdomen
- Unexplained iron deficiency
Treatment
Treatment for colorectal cancer would depend on certain factors such as size, location, stage of cancer, and the current overall health of the patient. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are various ways of treating colorectal cancer.
Radiation therapy will use high energy radiation beams to destroy the cancerous cells and will help prevent them from multiplying. Radiation therapy is used before surgery to help shrink the tumor. Both radiation and chemotherapy can also be given post-surgery to help lower the chances of recurrence.
Surgery is considered to be the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. The affected malignant tumors and nearby affected lymph nodes will be removed to reduce the risk of cancer spreading to other areas. Usually, the bowel is sewn back together, but at times the rectum will be removed entirely, and a colostomy bag will be attached for drainage. This bag will collect stools.
Chemotherapy involves using medications to destroy cancerous cells. It is commonly used for colon cancer. This could be performed before the surgery to help shrink the tumor. Thus reducing the chances of cancer getting spread to other areas.
It is recommended to maintain a proper lifestyle by following a healthy diet chart and regular physical activities. These could help lower the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer to a great extent.