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Colorectal cancer otherwise referred to as colon cancer is a condition which arises from the development of cancer cells within organs such as the appendix, rectum and colon. Every year, more than 500,000 people die from colon cancer. It is included in the top five most prevalent cancers in America. Colon cancer starts in the adenomatous polyps of the colon. While these polyps may normally be harmless, they are in fact the ones affected first when cancer cells start to develop in the colon. As a result, it is important to make sure that colon cancer is diagnosed during its early stages.
Staging and Prognosis
There are types of colon cancer, such as the TNM stages I and II, which are considered curable. Usually, colon cancer in this sage is treated with different surgical procedures. TNM stages I and II are invasive in nature but they are only confined within the colon wall so surgery is possible. If colon cancer is not addressed during these two stages, the cancer cells will then spread to the regional lymph nodes and is then classified as third stage colon cancer. Stage III colon cancer can be treated by chemotherapy and surgical procedure. These two methods have a 73% probability of curing the condition. When cancer cells have already spread farther than the regional lymph nodes, this is where it becomes incurable. While chemotherapy may still help, it only guarantees extended life but is very rarely a cure.
Stage I and II
The prognosis of colon cancer greatly depends on what stage it is at. People should learn how these staging categories are done since it can be really beneficial. As mentioned, stages I and II are confined within the walls of the colon. In Stage I, cancer cells have already developed in the most superficial layer of the colon which is the mucosa or in the bowel wall. In stage II, cancer cells have already reached the bowel wall’s muscular layer.
Stage III and IV
The cancer is in stage III once the lymph nodes have already been infected. Stage IV, on the other hand, happens once metastases or other sites have already been infected. Usually, it is the lungs and the liver which get affected right after the lymph nodes.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is just the start and doesn´t initially show the stage of colon cancer. People diagnosed with colon cancer need to go through several tests and procedures that will help determine the stage that they are at. Some of these procedures include, x-rays (to see if the lungs have already been affected), CAT scans (to see if other metastases are already affected) and Colonoscopy.
Treatment
As mentioned, surgical procedures and chemotherapy are most common in treating colon cancer. In surgery, the infected section of the colon is removed while the intestines are rejoined. These procedures are called resection and anastomosis. The survival rate of patients in stages I and II going through surgery is around 90%. In stage III, the survival rate of the person depends on the number of lymph nodes affected. Those with 1-3 involved lymph nodes have better chances of surviving than those with four.
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