Rectum

What are different methods for the treatment of colorectal cancer?

An abnormal growth in the organ called the colon, vermiform appendix and rectum gives rise to a cancer called the colorectal cancer. Another name given to colorectal cancer is bowel cancer. Colorectal cancer is commonly symbolized by symptoms like stool passing out with blood, rectal bleeding, haemorrhoids, pale skin, fatigue, abdominal pain, distension of the abdomen, weight loss, nausea, narrow stools and rectal pain.

There are many treatments which can be undergone in order to prevent or cure colorectal cancer. Following are some ways in which colorectal cancer can be treated:

- Surgery
The most common treatment used for curing colorectal cancer is through surgery. Surgery can be of either type: palliative (for reducing the morbidity of the tumour), curative (effective for tumours which are localized), and fecal diversion, open and close or bypass. Although surgery is the most common type of treatment but it can result in some complications also. These complications may include obstruction in bowel caused by adhesions, wound infection, anastomosis breakdown, injury to the adjacent organ, cardio-respiratory complications and many more.

- Chemotherapy
It is a treatment preferred by patients who have undergone the surgery. Chemotherapy is a survival treatment for patients whose cancer has reached a higher stage. This treatment is mainly carried out in stages. After the treatment is done, the patient undergoes a recovery period and then again the treatment is carried on. This is repeated until the patient is relieved from the cancer. Side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss, infections, vomiting, nausea, etc.

- Combination regimens
After chemotherapy, if the patient still continues to suffer from the cancer then the patient is treated with combination regimens. This is only carried out if the patient has enough strength to undergo further treatments. These treatments are also called the second line chemotherapy regimen treatments. When the first line chemotherapy treatment does no show much result on the patient then the second line treatment called Panitumumab is given to the patient. This treatment is given mostly in the extreme stages of the colorectal cancer.

- Radiation therapy
It can also be used for the treatment of the colorectal cancer. The cancerous cells are exposed to high energy radiations and as a result they are killed by these radiations. Radiation therapy is mostly given after the surgery i.e. in conjunction with the surgery. It is mostly effective in curing the pain, blockage and bleeding caused due to the colorectal cancer. There are various types of radiation therapies which are given to the cancer patient. These radiation therapies include External Beam Therapy (EBT), and Brachy therapy.

- Other Surgeries
There are many other surgeries available for the treatment of colorectal cancer. These surgeries include Laparoscopic surgery which is also known as the keyhole surgery. In this surgery a camera is inserted into the abdomen to see the inner part of the abdomen. The surgeon then analysis the problem and works on its treatment. Partial colectomy is another surgery which can be performed on the colorectal cancer patient. In this surgery a healthy colon is connected in place of the diseased colon. This surgery is also called the partial bowel resection.

- Other Treatments
Other treatments which are not very commonly used to cure the colorectal cancer are the cancer vaccine, the immunotherapy, support therapies, treatment of the liver metastases and palliative care.

Colorectal cancer is a cancer which stands on the third number in the list of cancers. It is very dangerous if not treated in proper time and can also cause a threat to life. Mostly people with a hereditary problem of colorectal cancer, and older age are more likely to develop the colorectal cancer.

| More

If you found this post informative, why not sign up to receive new posts ?
It's simple, and free, and you can even opt to receive by email:
Subscribe in a reader
Subscribe to Good Health Tips by Email

What are the risk factors of the colorectal cancer? – Part II

Inherited syndromes :
About 5% to 10% of humans who advance colorectal blight expect to have affiliated gene defects (mutations) that could cause the disease. Often, these defects advance to blight that occurs at an adolescent age than is common. Identifying families with these affiliated syndromes is important because it lets doctors acclaim specific steps, such as screening and added antitoxin measures if the person is younger.

Several types of blight can be affiliated with these syndromes, so it’s important to analysis your ancestors medical history not just for colon blight and polyps, but as well for any added blazon of cancer. While blight in first-degree ancestors is a matter of concern, any history of blight in added abroad ancestors is as well important. This includes aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and cousins. They may account from a biogenetic counselling to analyze their ancestors medical timberline to see how acceptable it is that they accept an ancestors blight affection and an altercation about whether or not gene testing is appropriate for them.

There are lot of accepted affiliated syndromes affiliated with colorectal cancers are familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and ancestral non-polyposis colorectal blight (HNPCC).

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): FAP is acquired by changes (mutations) in the APC gene that a human being inherits from his or her parents. About 1% of all colorectal cancers are due to FAP.
People with FAP advance hundreds of polyps in their colon and rectum, usually in their adolescence or aboriginal adulthood. By age 40, humans with this ataxia will develop blight if antitoxin anaplasty (removing the colon) is not done.
Gardner affection is a blazon of FAP that as well has amiable (non-cancerous) tumors of the skin, bendable affiliation tissue, and bones.

Hereditary non-polyposis colon blight (HNPCC): HNPCC, as well accepted as Lynch syndrome, accounts for about 3% to 5% of all colorectal cancers. HNPCC can be acquired by affiliated changes in an amount of altered genes that commonly advice adjustment DNA damage.

The cancers in this affection advance if humans are almost young, although not as adolescent as in FAP. Humans with HNPCC may as well accept polyps, but they alone accept a few, not hundreds as in FAP. The lifetime accident of colorectal blight in humans with this action may be as top as 80%.

Women with this action accept an actual top accident of developing blight of the endometrial (lining of the uterus). Other cancers affiliated with HNPCC cover blight of the ovary, stomach, baby bowel, pancreas, kidney, brain, ureters (tubes that backpack urine from the kidneys to the bladder), and acerbity duct.

Turcot syndrome:
This is an attenuate affiliated action in which humans are at added accident of adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer, as able-bodied as academician tumors. There are in fact 2 types of Turcot syndrome:
- One can be acquired by gene changes agnate to those apparent in FAP, in which cases the academician tumors are medulloblastomas.
- The added can as well be acquired by gene changes agnate to those apparent in HNPCC, in which cases the academician tumors are glioblastomas.

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome:
Humans with this attenuate affiliated action tend to accept freckles about the aperture and an appropriate blazon of polyp in their digestive tracts (called hamartomas). They are at abundantly added accident for colorectal cancer, as able-bodied as several added cancers, which usually arise at a adolescent than accustomed age. This affection is acquired by mutations in the gene STK1.

MUTYH-associated polyposis:
Humans with this affection advance colon polyps which will become annihilative if the colon is not removed. They as well accept an added accident of cancers of the baby civil skin, ovary, and bladder. This affection is acquired by mutations in the gene MUTYH.