Colon cancer can be treated if it is detected at an early stage. The treatment depends on the stage of cancer. This article on the stages and treatment for colon cancer explains the treatment for colon cancer when it is at stage 0, 1, or 2. The stages and treatment for colon cancer are interrelated. The type of treatment needed depends entirely on the stage.
Like all other cancers, it is easy to treat all early stages, and it becomes difficult as cancer progresses. Surgery is the first option in all stages, except Stage 4, where the cancer has advanced. Along with this, other options need to be considered:
1. Stage 0
This is the earliest stage of cancer, where the cancer is restricted to the mucosal layers. At this early stage, if detected, the treatment is easy. The five-year survival rate is 90%, indicating that 90% of those diagnosed survive for at least five years.
At this stage, surgery is used to remove cancerous cells. A colonoscope is used to remove the tumor. In case, the tumor is slightly large, a part of the colon may be removed (partial colectomy). This is rare at this very early stage.
2. Stage 1
In this stage, cancer is still localized. It is located within the colon, having spread from the inner to outer mucosal layers. It would not have spread outside the colon and hence the five-year survival rate would remain 90%, which is a good prognosis. In this stage, surgery should be sufficient to ensure treatment.
Post-surgery monitoring is needed for signs of cancer. The surgery can be done to remove the cancerous polyp or tumor. If it is at the outer edges, the entire polyp can be easily removed. In case, it overlaps into part of the colony, then a partial colectomy is needed, where a part of the colon has to be removed. Sometimes a nearby lymph node may also have to be excised during the process.
3. Stage 2
Stage 2 is where cancer crosses the colon wall and enters adjoining cells. At this stage, it would not have affected any of the lymph nodes. At Stage 2A and 2B, the cancer is localized and the five-year survival rate will be at 90%. At Stage 2C, cancer would have spread to nearby organs and has become regional. The five-year survival rate drops to 71%. At this stage, the first treatment option is surgery. Depending on the extent of the growth of cancer cells, chemotherapy would be needed.
Surgery usually involves partial removal of the colon with nearby lymph nodes. If the cancer is high grade, has caused a hole in the colon, or was at the margin, then chemotherapy is carried out to ensure complete removal of cancer and prevent its recurrence. The article on the stages and treatment for colon cancer explained all about the treatment options for Stage 0, Stage 1, and Stage 2 of colon cancer, which is the early and intermediate stages of cancer.