The most effective treatment for colon cancer is its prevention.
An adequate and balanced diet, regular physical exercise, abstinence regarding alcohol and tobacco, avoiding becoming overweight and obesity, etc., help reduce, as a whole, the incidence of colon cancer in the general population.
Individually, besides the aforementioned hygienic-dietary measures, the great relevance of secondary prevention includes early detection of colonic lesions in pre-malignant stage through the performance of a colonoscopy.
Regardless of the symptoms that a person may or may not have, it is recommended that the general population have a colonoscopy performed as of the age of 50. This indication varies depending on personal or family history of polyps or cancers, and some specific diseases that your doctor will be sure to mention.
Indeed, colonoscopies allow for the diagnosis of many cases of colon and rectal polyps in their early stages, and offer the possibility of treating them during the same endoscopic act.
When alarming symptoms appear (anal bleeding, alteration of the intestinal rhythm, intestinal occlusion, etc.) tumours may be found in advanced stages, and in many cases may require surgical treatment.
In some select cases of colon and rectal cancer, or when the disease has extended beyond the colon wall, other alternative treatments can be combined depending on the characteristics of each case. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are currently used as supplementary treatment for reducing the size of tumours, and improving patient prognosis and survival. Together with other techniques, such as some endoscopic treatments or colostomies, they can also be indicated as palliative measures in order to improve the patient’s quality of life.
Other treatments, such as brachytherapy or gene therapy, are still in experimental stages.
In any case, treatment of colon and rectal cancer must be individualized and supervised by a multidisciplinary and coordinated team, with specialized digestive system, digestive endoscopic, surgical, oncological, and nursing services. In select cases, the support of a psychological and nutrition-dietary team may be of great use.
A personalized relationship with your medical team is of great importance in order for you to be made aware of and find answers to the most commonly asked questions:
Where is my tumour located? Where has it extended to? In what stage am I? What is my prognosis? What treatment options do I have? What are the secondary effects of these treatment options? What personal or family support services do I have available? It is only in this manner that a favourable response can be found to one of the greatest emerging diseases of our time: Colon Cancer.