Generally, colon cancer is cancer which occurs in the large intestine commonly called colon. The colon is present at the end of the large intestine or at the end of the digestive tract. Cancer usually starts with harmless benign tumors or polyps, which when untreated for a longer period of time, can lead to colon cancer.

Common treatments for colon cancer

Colon cancer is one of the most life-threatening cancers which destroys the colon or the end of the large intestine thereby hampering the process of digestion. The treatments for colon cancer are usually decided by a cancer specialist who keeps in mind the type and stage of colon cancer. The age, health status, past medical history of the patient are important factors which help in deciding the course of treatment. Mostly, in the case of colon cancer, the doctor suggests surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy to get cured. One or more treatments are combined together for the treatment of colon cancer. These treatments remove any dangerous cancer cells and cure the patient of further suffering.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy usually means the introduction of chemicals into the body which reach the cancerous cells and stop the cell division by blocking the proteins and interfering with the DNA. Chemotherapy targets any cell which divides rapidly, both the healthy and the unhealthy ones. The healthy cells recover from the damage caused by chemotherapy but the unhealthy ones do not recover from it. When cancer has spread to nearby organs, chemotherapy is introduced as the chemical travels throughout the body. As the treatment occurs in phases, healthy cells get healed in the process. Nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue are some common side effects.

Surgery

Surgery for colon cancer is generally called as colostomy where waste material from the stoma (opening surgically made in the wall of the abdomen) is collected in a bag which is passed through the end part of the large intestine. Surgery to remove a part of the colon is commonly called as colectomy where a part of the colon and the area around it are removed surgically to stop cancer cells from growing. The healthy and unaffected part of the colon is either reattached to the rectum or stoma depending upon the severity of the surgery. Sometimes lymph nodes are also removed. Sometimes small localized cancer cells are removed by simple endoscopy. Larger polyps can be removed using laparoscopy. To remove the blockage of the colon and manage the bleeding and other symptoms, palliative surgery may be done.

Radiation therapy
In the case of radiation therapy, gamma rays with high power and intensity are focused on the cells. These gamma rays have radioactive metals in it like radium, which when focused on the cells leads to instant killing of the cells. It is among the common treatments for colon cancer. Radiotherapy can be used with a combination of chemotherapy and surgery or can be used alone, depending on the stage of cancer. It shrinks the tumor and destroys it. It is only used in the later stages of colon cancer if the rectal wall and lymph nodes are affected. The common side effects are nausea, skin burn or tan, weight loss, diarrhea.