Colon Cancer

When Stage 3 Colon Cancer is detected the damage has spread outside the colon and on to other organs of the body. This is a serious condition which requires a team of specialists to determine the best treatment options. After the initial diagnosis, the physician recommends an oncologist, a cancer specialist, who prescribes chemotherapy and chooses the drugs used in that therapy. A colorectal surgeon performs the surgery to remove cancerous tumors and other damaged areas. A radiation oncologist may join the team if radiation is used as a treatment option.

The first treatment procedure is to surgically remove the cancerous tumors and any lymph nodes if necessary. Additional surgical work may be needed to bypass a damaged area of the colon and reconnect, if possible, to a non-damaged area of the colon. When other organs have substantial damage from the cancer cells, surgical removal of the ovaries or parts of liver and lungs may be required.

After surgery the patient with Stage 3 colon cancer will begin chemotherapy using 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) or Leucovorin or possibly a combination of these drugs. The 5-FU drug is administered intravenously under medical supervision. A new pill form of this drug called Xeloda has been approved and used primarily for colon cancer that has already spread to other organs. If the colon cancer is metastatic, then other chemotherapy drugs such as Avastin or Eloxatin may be added to 5-FU.

Chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer is either primary or adjuvant. Primary chemotherapy is used for advanced colon cancer after it has spread to other organs, The best outcome of this treatment is that the tumors shrink and symptoms are improved. Adjuvant chemotherapy is applied after the surgery to destroy any cancer cells that were not found during the surgery. Radiation may also be used if the tumor is large or located in a difficult position.

Two newer drugs that show good result in research studies are Avastin and Erbitux. In 2004 the Food and Drug Administration approved these drugs for use in treating Stage 3 colon cancer which has spread to organs outside the colon. These drugs belong to a class of medications known as monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies were designed in a lab and programmed to search and destroy a specific cellular target. Using targeted medications for chemotherapy is more effective in dealing with colon cancer than the broad destructive power of other types of chemotherapy drugs used to treat differing types of cancers.

Regardless of treatment options used, on average the five year survival rate for Stage 3 colon cancer is 64%. Even that limited success depends on quick action to have needed surgery and begin chemotherapy. Since hearing this diagnosis is a shock to patients and their families, there must be time to adjust to the news without wasting valuable treatment time. Patients and families dealing with Stage 3 colon cancer benefit from joining a cancer support group for information and encouragement from people who genuinely understand what they are experiencing.

Stage 4 Colon Cancer |