Colon Cancer Therapy

People diagnosed with colon cancer are prescribed a colon cancer therapy by their attending physician. This is commonly done as a part of patient prognosis, and the patient counseling phase wherein the patient is educated about the most effective solutions for treating the colon cancer. The two, most common colon cancer therapies are radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Radiotherapy as Colon Cancer Therapy

Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, uses specialized high energy radiation that is directed at the cancer sites. The radiation is very potent and immediately kills the cancer cells. In cases when the cancer cell has assumed a significant size, the radiation helps to shrink the tumor. Radiation therapy can be used as a single form of treatment or in conjugation with some other form of colon cancer therapy. Many times, radiotherapy is recommended as the first step towards treating colon cancer, i.e. it is used to limit the malignancy and then discontinued. Radiotherapy is often used after the surgery has removed the cancerous cells. Here, the use of radiation is to ensure that the body organs surrounding the cancerous sites don’t turn cancerous. The use of radiotherapy as the single resource for treating colon cancer is limited to the early stages of colon cancer.

Chemotherapy as Colon Cancer Therapy

Chemotherapy is usually completed in short phases, and is often started after surgery, or after radiotherapy has stopped. These drugs can perform a variety of functions such as destroying cancer cells or interrupting growth cycle of cancer cells, arresting the malignancy. Chemotherapy is among the most common of colon cancer therapies. It involves the use of strong, chemically formulated drugs that are either injected or administered orally. Chemo drugs are deemed more effective when they are injected since the drugs are forced directly in to the bloodstream. This form of chemotherapy, called systemic chemotherapy, is often used for stage 3 and stage 4 colon cancer. It is most effective among colon cancer patients wherein the chances of complete recovery or survival are limited.

Follow up Care in Colon Cancer Therapy

Colon cancer therapies discussed above pose significant problems in terms of side effects. This includes inflammation of the skin and loss of hair. Patients are unable to eat or taste their favorite foods. Many patients have intermittent episodes of vomiting and nausea, along with an overall feeling of malaise. Further, these therapies pose a severe threat of harming the non-cancerous tissue. For instance, when used for treating colon cancer, the chemotherapy drugs can harm vital body organs like the liver and kidney. This is why each session of chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, is followed by a detailed, follow-up program. Here, the patient is checked for possible side effects. Often more medications are needed purely for the sake of neutralizing the harmful effects of a chemotherapy session. This means repeated visits to the physician’s office for blood imaging studies and physical checkups.

Colon Cleansing: How to Avoid Demanding Colon Cancer Therapy

In the most extreme cases of colon cancer, radiation is used along with chemotherapy. This is perhaps the most potent form of cancer treatment, but it is known to take a heavy toll on the health of the patient. Rather than subjecting oneself to the risk of colon cancer, the long list of side effects, and the demanding nature of colon cancer therapies, a smarter approach lies in taking due precautions. This can be easily done at home by regularly using colon cleansing aids. Various colon cleansing products are available on the market. Colon cleansers are over the counter aids that help to maintain a healthy, cancer free colon.