Colon cancer treatment

Colorectal cancer is a malignant neoplasm that develops in one of its departments. The most common tumors are those of the rectum and colon. In 2019, 9,311 and 7,655 new cases were detected in Ukraine, respectively. In the world, this figure reaches 1.8 million.

In the early stages, colorectal cancer develops asymptomatically, which makes timely diagnosis difficult. Therefore, men and women after 40 years of age are recommended to undergo a preventive examination by a proctologist every year. In the early stages, the disease is well treatable, and more than 90% of patients manage to recover.

Oxford Medical is a large medical center with a modern oncology department. The clinic has all the conditions for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. We employ some of the best oncologists and surgeons in Kyiv and Ukraine with many years of experience, who are familiar with all modern methods of cancer treatment, including targeted and immunotherapy.

To schedule a consultation, call our contact center or write to the chat on the website.

Intestinal neoplasms can develop from different cells of the organ and, depending on this, differ in aggressiveness and response to treatment. In this localization, adenocarcinomas are diagnosed in 80% of cases - tumors that grow from glandular epithelium.

According to the International Morphological Classification, the following types of colon cancer are distinguished:

1. Adenocarcinoma:

• highly differentiated (the structure of malignant cells is slightly different from normal, which indicates a good response to treatment and a low risk of metastasis);
• moderately differentiated (the structure of cells is significantly different from normal);
• poorly differentiated (malignant cells are very different from healthy ones, behave aggressively and respond poorly to treatment);

2. Mucinous adenocarcinoma:

• mucoid;
• mucous;
• colloid;

3. Signet ring cell carcinoma;

4. Undifferentiated cancer.

The danger of colon cancer is that many patients notice the first signs of the disease only at stage 3 or 4. At this time, the tumor increases, grows through the walls of the organ and metastasizes. In addition, the symptoms that appear are non-specific, that is, they can develop with various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. This becomes another reason for untimely consultation with a doctor and late diagnosis of the neoplasm.

If there are several symptoms, you should immediately consult a proctologist and undergo diagnostics, but before receiving the results, you should not tune in to the most difficult option. Often, the listed disorders occur with milder diseases that are successfully treated.

During the appointment, the proctologist will conduct an examination, study the complaints and medical history, and then prescribe tests and instrumental examinations.

The main diagnostic methods are:

• general blood, urine and stool tests;
• stool analysis for occult blood;
• blood tests for tumor markers;
• transrectal ultrasound of the rectum;
• colonoscopy - endoscopic examination of the colon;
• irrigoscopy - X-ray examination of the intestine with the use of a contrast medium;
• biopsy with histological analysis - taking a tissue sample of the neoplasm and analysis that allows you to determine its type;
• immunohistochemical analysis - assessment of the characteristics of a malignant tumor;
• ultrasound, CT or MRI of various parts of the body to assess the spread of cancer and detect metastases.

The most informative examination is colonoscopy - endoscopic examination of the colon. It is performed using a special device - a colonoscope, a thin and flexible catheter that is inserted into the intestine through the anus. Thanks to a miniature video camera located at its end, the image is transmitted to the monitor screen and magnified many times. This allows the doctor to carefully examine the intestinal mucosa and identify pathological changes.

If a tumor is detected during the procedure, a biopsy is immediately performed - a tissue sample is taken with microsurgical instruments, which is then sent for histological analysis. It allows you to determine whether the tumor is malignant.

Other examinations are additional and are performed to clarify the stage of cancer, diagnose metastases and assess the patient's general health.

For each patient, oncologists at Oxford Medical create an individual treatment program. They are guided by state and international protocols, using highly effective methods with clinically proven effectiveness.

For colon cancer, complex therapy is used, which may include:

• surgical removal of the tumor;
• chemotherapy;
• radiation therapy;
• targeted therapy;
• immunotherapy;
• symptomatic therapy (to relieve cancer symptoms and side effects of treatment).

At Oxford Medical, operations are performed in a high-tech surgical hospital with two operating rooms, an intensive care unit and intensive care wards.

If cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, surgery may be the only treatment method. At stages 2 and 3, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy may be prescribed. They can be performed both before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor, and after to prevent recurrence or treat metastases.

Radiation therapy has a point effect on the tumor and destroys it. As a result, the growth process slows down and tissue destruction occurs.

Chemotherapy has a systemic effect on the entire body. It is performed with cytostatic and cytotoxic drugs. The former block the process of cell division that is prone to rapid renewal, which helps slow tumor growth. Cytotoxic drugs cause the destruction of tumor tissues.

Due to the complex effect on the body, chemotherapy gives good results in the treatment of metastases and preventing tumor recurrence. But for this reason, it causes side effects, negatively affecting healthy organs.

Also, in some cases, targeted therapy is used with drugs that directly affect tumor cells, and immunotherapy, which provides increased body defenses to fight malignant cells.

The main risk factors for colorectal cancer are:

• polyps and benign neoplasms of the intestine;
• chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease);
• genetic predisposition and mutations of the hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH6, hPMS1 and hPMS2 genes;
• age over 50 years;
• previous radiotherapy of the abdominal organs;
• diabetes mellitus;
• obesity;
• smoking;
• alcohol abuse;
• unbalanced diet.

The greatest risk is associated with heredity, intestinal polyps and chronic inflammatory diseases. In relatively healthy people, the probability of the disease is from 1 to 3%, while in the presence of a family history it increases to at least 30%. Large polyps and benign formations, with an area of ​​​​more than 16 cm2, undergo malignancy in 18 and 56% of cases, respectively. And ulcerative colitis diagnosed more than 20 years ago leads to cancer in 50% of patients. In Crohn's disease, this figure is 15-20%.

Colorectal cancer is quite rare in patients under the age of 40. Therefore, upon reaching this age, both men and women are recommended to undergo regular examinations by a proctologist and undergo colonoscopy. This is most important if there are several risk factors. If the tumor is detected at an early stage, in more than 90% of cases, a complete recovery can be achieved.

To reduce the risk of the disease, experts recommend:

• treat all diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in a timely manner;
• eat a balanced diet, consuming more fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains;
• maintain a normal weight
• lead an active lifestyle;
• quit smoking and drinking alcohol.