What are the treatments used for colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is the cancer of the colon or rectum. If discovered early, it is often curable. The main victims are those who above the age 50 and the risk increase with age. You are also more likely to get it if you have a diet that is high in fat, a family history or personal history of colorectal cancer, polyps inside the colon and rectum and ulcerative colitis or crohn’s disease.
Symptoms can include a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool, narrower stools and general stomach discomfort. Screening is important to find out all these symptoms. Each one who is 50 or above, must be screened for colorectal cancer. Treatments for colorectal cancer usually include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or a combination.
Treatment
The best way for treating colorectal cancer is surgery. Two surgical methods are used to treat this disease. One method is, using sigmoidoscope when cancer is still at an early stage. A second surgical method used at advanced stages is with an incision made into the wall of the abdomen.
The colon is opened up and the cancerous tissue and some healthy tissue surrounding the cancer may also be taken out. Some times the lymph nodes near the cancer may also be removed to make it certain that malignant tissue has been removed.
Colostomy is a surgical operation that makes an opening from the colon to the surface of the body to function as an anus. It is performed when the normal passageway by which wastes are eliminated from the body is closed off and the colon cannot be restored to its original condition. In certain cases, patients have a colostomy for a short duration until their own colon heals otherwise they may have to adjust with a colostomy for the rest of their lives.
Radiation and chemotherapy are used when it is difficult to reach cancerous tissue or to make sure that all cancerous tissue has been killed. One method to provide radiation treatment is with an X-ray-like machine that sends high-energy radiation. The radiation passes through the body and removes cancer cells. A different way to provide radiation is with pellets implanted into the rectum or colon. These pellets contain radioactive materials that send radiation resembling to X rays.
Chemotherapy consists of certain drugs that are suitable to demolish cancer cells. The drugs may be given by injection or orally.
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