According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, and although mortality rates have declined due to significant advances in early screening and treatment methods in recent years, its impact on society and patients remains profound.
1. Surgical treatment: early detection is crucialSurgical treatment is one of the most common and effective ways to treat bowel cancer, especially in its early stages. Surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding affected tissue can effectively control the spread of cancer. The choice of surgical method depends on the stage of bowel cancer, the location of the tumor and the patient's health.
Local excision: For tumors detected early and localized to one part of the intestine, local excision removes the tumor and a small amount of surrounding healthy tissue. This surgery is usually minimally invasive, has a short recovery time, and is suitable for patients with small bowel cancers.
Partial Resection (Hemicolectomy): When the tumor is in a certain part of the colon, the surgeon may choose to perform a partial resection, which is to remove the part of the colon where the tumor is located. After surgery, the remaining intestine is reconnected to maintain normal bowel function.
Total Colectomy: In some cases, a total colectomy may be necessary, especially if the cancer has spread throughout the colon or if cancer is found in multiple places in the large intestine. After surgery, patients may need ostomy surgery to maintain bowel function.
Anal sphincter-preserving surgery: For some tumors located in the rectum, if they are discovered early and the cancer has not spread, the doctor will try to preserve the anal sphincter and try to avoid the patient having a permanent stoma after surgery.
Recovery time after surgical treatment varies based on the patient's type of surgery, physical condition, and postoperative complications. Most patients will experience some degree of pain and discomfort and require appropriate post-operative care, such as anti-infective treatment and nutritional support. After surgery, patients need regular follow-up visits and colonoscopy and imaging examinations to detect possible recurrence or metastasis in a timely manner.
Chemotherapy is a common treatment for bowel cancer, especially if the cancer has spread beyond the bowel. Chemotherapy drugs help control the progression of cancer by attacking the cell division process to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often combined with other treatments such as surgery and radiotherapy in the treatment of bowel cancer.
Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy: When bowel cancer has been surgically removed, but there is still a certain risk of recurrence, the doctor may recommend that the patient undergo postoperative chemotherapy to remove residual cancer cells and reduce the possibility of cancer recurrence. sex.
Advanced Bowel Cancer: Chemotherapy is often an integral treatment for patients with advanced bowel cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or other organs. It can effectively shrink tumors, control conditions, and improve patients’ quality of life.
Combination therapy: Chemotherapy is often used in combination with other treatments such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy to enhance its effectiveness. Patients may need to choose different drug combinations based on their specific condition and their doctor's recommendations.
5-FU (Fluorouracil): This is a classic chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat colorectal cancer. 5-FU can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells by preventing their DNA synthesis.
Oxaliplatin: Used in combination with 5-FU, it can effectively improve the therapeutic effect. Oxaliplatin damages the DNA of cancer cells, making them unable to continue growing and dividing.
Irinotecan: Irinotecan is a topoisomerase inhibitor that inhibits the division of cancer cells by disrupting the DNA replication process of cancer cells.
The side effects of chemotherapy are usually related to the type and dose of the drug. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, immune system suppression, fatigue, etc. However, with the development of medical technology, new drugs and treatments have made some progress in mitigating these side effects.
Radiation Therapy uses high-energy radiation to directly kill cancer cells or prevent them from dividing. It is often used for local treatment of bowel cancer, especially for the treatment of rectal cancer or advanced cancer. It has a good effect.
Rectal Cancer Treatment: For localized rectal cancer, especially cases detected early, radiotherapy can help shrink the tumor and create better conditions for surgical resection. In some cases, radiation therapy can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy (i.e., concurrent chemoradiotherapy) to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
Adjuvant radiotherapy: For patients with rectal cancer that has been surgically removed, radiotherapy can be used as adjuvant treatment to reduce the possibility of cancer recurrence.
Advanced Bowel Cancer: In patients with advanced bowel cancer, radiotherapy can be used to relieve symptoms caused by the cancer, such as pain, bleeding, or intestinal obstruction, and help improve the patient's quality of life.
The side effects of radiation therapy are usually temporary and include skin redness and swelling, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, etc. For patients with bowel cancer, radiotherapy may cause gastrointestinal discomfort such as abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, so close monitoring is required during treatment.
Targeted therapy is an innovative treatment method that attacks cancer cells through specific molecular targets and avoids damage to healthy cells. Targeted therapy has become an important method in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, especially when chemotherapy is ineffective.
Targeted drugs inhibit tumor growth by targeting specific proteins or receptors on the surface of cancer cells. For example, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key protein that promotes tumor angiogenesis. Drugs targeting VEGF (such as Bevacizumab) can inhibit tumor blood supply and slow down tumor growth.
Bevacizumab: By inhibiting VEGF, it reduces the blood supply of tumors and helps control tumor growth.
Cetuximab: This drug inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells by targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the surface of cancer cells.
Side effects of targeted therapies are generally milder than chemotherapy, but may still include rash, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal discomfort, and immune reactions. Most side effects can be controlled with symptomatic treatment.
Immunotherapy is an innovative treatment method that activates the patient's own immune system to identify and attack cancer cells. Over the past few years, immune checkpoint inhibitors have made significant progress in the treatment of multiple cancers.
Advanced colorectal cancer: For patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have certain genetic mutations (such as MSI-H and dMMR), immunotherapy may bring significant efficacy.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors: These drugs block the "immune escape" mechanism between cancer cells and the immune system, allowing the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Pembrolizumab: This immune checkpoint inhibitor enhances the attack power of T cells against cancer cells by targeting the PD-1 receptor.
Nivolumab: Another PD-1 inhibitor with a similar mechanism that has shown some efficacy in the treatment of MSI-H-positive colorectal cancer.
Side effects of immunotherapy are often related to overactivation of the immune system, including rash, diarrhea, liver damage, etc. Although immunotherapy may have fewer side effects, patients still need to closely monitor their immune response during treatment.
Bowel cancer treatments in the United States continue to evolve and have entered the era of precision medicine. Personalized treatment, which tailors treatment plans based on the patient's genetic characteristics, the biological characteristics of the tumor, and the patient's physical condition, has become the future trend in bowel cancer treatment. Whether it is surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted therapy and immunotherapy, patients should work closely with their doctors to choose the treatment plan that best suits their condition.
At the same time, with the popularization of early screening for bowel cancer, more and more bowel cancer patients can be treated at an early stage, thus improving the cure rate and survival rate. It is hoped that through these advanced treatments, patients with bowel cancer can defeat the disease and regain their health with the help of the medical team.
