Stage Defines The Colon Carcinoma Treatment

The treatment of cancer depends on a lot of things like the stage of the disease, patient’s previous medical history and the overall strength of the body. The colon carcinoma treatment partly depends on the stage of the malignant cells.

Stage 0 colon cancer treatments may include the surgeries like simple polypectomy or local excision. Polypectomy means a surgery in which doctors remove an infected polyp. The other surgeries for this stage of cancer may also include anastomosis or resection.

This is a procedure when the healthy portion of the tubular is connected to the portion from which the malignant portion has been surgically removed. This surgery is preferred when the stage 0 tumor is too large to be removed by local excision. Stage I colon cancer treatment usually includes resection or anastomosis. After the surgery, patients may be given chemotherapy.

Stage II colon cancer may include resection or anastomosis. In this stage too, the same procedure is applied for anastomosis. After the surgery, the doctors can give radiation therapy, chemotherapy or biologic therapy. The chemotherapy includes the use of medicines like 5-fluorouracil to kill the malignant cells.

In biological therapy, the immune system of the body is boosted to make it strong to fight the infections, cancer cells and side effects. The clinical trials may vary from hospital to hospital. The agents used in biological theory are monoclonal antibodies, growth factors, and vaccines. The radiation therapy can also be used. In this treatment option, high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources are used to shrink tumors or cancer cells.

The radiation may come from a radioactive material placed inside the body of the patient or from a machine outside. There is a particular therapy called Systemic radiation therapy where radioactive antibodies run throughout the body via blood. This therapy is also called irradiation.

The stage III treatment options are similar to stage II, but chemotherapy after surgery is must in III stage treatment.

Stage IV is the last stage of the cancer and doctors try all the best applicable methods to treat the patient. Surgery is conducted to remove the tumor or parts of other organs affected such as liver, lungs, or ovaries. After the surgery, radiation or chemotherapy is must which are given as palliative therapy to improve the quality of life and relieve the symptoms of cancer. If colon cancer has spread to liver then special treatment like cryosurgery or other treatment are carried out.

Patients who still have minute amounts of cancer cells after II or III stage surgery are given chemotherapy sessions for complete colon carcinoma treatment. Thus, determination of the right stage is the first step towards getting a perfect treatment to get rid of colon cancer

Carcinoma Of The Sigmoid Colon

The sigmoid colon is a loop of the large intestine, which is on an average 40 cm. in length. It lies behind the pelvis, displaced into the abdominal cavity. Carcinoma of the Sigmoid Colon is seen more commonly between the ages of 40 and 80. The disease has its highest incidence between the ages of 60 and 70 years. And, surprisingly, women are more prone to get inflicted by it, than men.

The colorectal cancer is a life-threatening, uncontrolled growth of tumor, which takes place in the large intestine, including the rectum. About two-thirds of these cancers occur in the sigmoid region of the intestine and are known as the cancer of the sigmoid colon. One-third occurs at the junction of the sigmoid colon and the rectum.

The cancer has its incidence more on the denizens of the western world rather than Asia. This is quite a peculiar statistic and the scientists are still trying to find out why it is so.

Recent studies have shown that colorectal cancer,including the sigmoid colon cancer, has been on a steady decline among the Caucasian communities in the United States, although, its incidence among the African-American communities has increased by almost fifty percent.

The Hispanic Caucasians have only half the mortality rates as compared to the non-Hispanic whites. Another surprising fact observed by scientists is that the migrants to the United States, even those from Asia, tend to pick up this disease at the same rate, similar to those living in their adoptive country. The disease seems to have a higher occurrence in the urban areas.

This makes it amply clear that sigmoid colon cancer has its causation more in your lifestyle, rather than your metabolism. The reasons, therefore, for developing the disease are similar to those of colorectal cancer.

If you go beyond forty, you are at risk of developing colon polyps. Multiple polyps and those exceeding a diameter of about 1.0 cm can develop into malignant neoplasms, and the sigmoid colon carcinoma.

The other causation factors are any previous cancers, a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. The development of the cancer gets hastened if the patient has the habit of taking excessive alcohol; coupled with the consumption of a high-fat, low-fiber, low-folate and a low-calcium diet.

The screening of the sigmoid colon cancer can be done by an internal examination called Sigmoidoscopy. A sigmoidoscope is used for the process. The instrument is a fiber-optic flexible tube with a small camera attached to its end. It is about twenty inches long and inserted gently into the anus, till it reaches the sigmoid colon. After this, the entire area is searched for any polyps, inflammations, etc.

If a carcinoma of the sigmoid colon is found then medications and appropriate chemotherapy is prescribed as curative measures.

Dukes B Colon Carcinoma- Stage II Of Colon Cancer

Cancerous growths in internal parts of the body like rectum, colon or appendix is known as colon caner. Colon cancer is the second most leading cause of deaths due to cancer around the world. It is also the third most prominent form of cancer. It is divided into five stages depending on its growth.  Dukes B Colon Carcinoma is the second stage of colon cancer.

When the cancerous growths move beyond the innermost layer of the colon and into the middle layer of the colon it is regarded as Dukes B Colon Carcinoma. Also if the colon cancer extends to the nearby organs it is still regarded as the second stage of colon cancer.

Stage 2 of colon cancer is further divided into two sub stages- Duke B1 or Stage 2A and Duke B2 or Stage 2B. B2 is the more advanced stage here.

Regarding the anatomy of the colon cancer, the first layer of the colon is referred to as mucosa, after this comes a very thin muscle layer called submucosa. After this comes two thick muscle layers and only after passing through it comes the outermost layer of colon called serosa.

In stage 2A the colon cancer only makes it to the muscle layer or at best to the tissues surrounding the colon or the rectum. Whereas in stage two the condition is much more serious as the colon cancer extends to the nearby organs like ovaries and bladder. Also here the colon cancer can spread to peritoneum. Peritoneum is the tissue that is responsible for covering most of the organs of our body.

If a person is diagnosed in stage 2 of colon cancer his treatment consists mainly of surgical resurrection. In this method the doctors try to remove the affected or infected portion of the colon completely and thus reconnect the remaining healthy portions of the colon. In majority of the cases this treatment method is used. But if the doctor thinks that chances of recurrence of colon cancer are there then he can revert to treatment methods like chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation.

Regarding survival rates for people suffering from colon cancer a lot of factors come into play. The first factor is the stage. The earlier the stage, the more are the chances of recovery. The location of tumor is also another important factor. Tumors in the right colon are difficult to recognize as the symptoms occur at a very late stage.

In fact the place where you reside is also a factor of concern. If your place has sufficient facilities for colon cancer recognition then it is very likely that your problem will be diagnosed at a very early stage.

But medical researches have revealed that in around 90 percent of people with Dukes B Colon Carcinoma, people survived for even 5 years after being diagnosed with this condition.