Colon Cancer Treatments
Colon cancer is a terrible disease. It is one of the top causes of cancer-related deaths in the country today. But not all colon cancer cases are will lead to death. Colon cancer has treatments that work really well, depending on the stage of the disease. The three main colon cancer treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Surgery or colectomy – Surgery for colon cancer involves removing the part of the colon that has the disease. The borders of the cancerous parts are also removed so that no cancer cells are left behind. Sometimes, lymph nodes are also removed for cancer testing. Once the part that has cancer has been removed, the remaining parts of the colon will be connected. But if this is not possible, the surgeon will perform a colostomy. This is when a hole is made in the abdomen for removal of waste.
Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy may be recommended after surgery so that cancer cells that may not have been removed through surgery will be destroyed. The drugs used in chemotherapy often cause vomiting, mouth sores, hair loss, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Radiation therapy – With the use of X-Rays and other energy sources, cancer cells are killed in radiation therapy. It is used to shrink the size of cancer cells. It is often administered after surgery or before an operation so that the tumors become easy to remove during surgery. Radiation therapy is often done together with chemotherapy.
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