Colon Cancer treatment: Weigh your options

1. Colon Cancer Treatment: Weigh Your Options By Author: MedMonks Health In case you are suffering from cancer in the colon and have lost possibly all hope to live a normal life yet again, there is good news for you. And the good news is: With the access to best-in-class treatments and top-notch facilities in India and abroad, more people are either completely cured or live longer with this disease than ever. Prior to choosing a particular treatment option, make sure to discuss all the available treatment methods with your doctor to find the one that meets your needs and requirements in entirety. Picking the right treatment protocol The right treatment protocol to be chosen depends on several factors including 1. Size of a tumor 2. The extent of the spread (preferably called the stage) 3. Patient's health conditions 4. Possible risks, Side-effects and cost of the treatment to be chosen, if any. Aforementioned details will help you and your doctor to pick the best treatment plan for treating colon cancer successfully. Available options of Colon cancer treatment: At present, there are many colon cancer treatments in India that are employed to cure colon cancer from within. Some of them are: 1. Surgery: Surgery is the best way to tackle colon cancer; in this procedure, the surgeon removes only the damaged part of the colon or rectum, one that has the tumor. Contrary to traditional methods, wherein one long cut has to be made, this procedure can be performed by making a few small cuts in your belly, called as laparoscopy. With this minimally-invasive approach, your recovery and healing time greatly reduces. 2. Chemotherapy: In this procedure, you will be given a variety of drug combinations, either intravenously or orally. As soon as these chemo drugs enter your bloodstream, it starts destroying the cancerous cells metastasized to other parts of the body. It is regarded as the best method to treat the pain and slow down the growth of cancer to other parts. However, chemotherapy can have severe side-effects such as hair loss, vomiting, fatigue, and mouth sores. 3. Ablation and Embolization: If your cancer has spread to the liver, this treatment option is the best bet for you. This procedure helps in destroying the tumors without eliminating them. The tumor destruction is caused by using high-energy radio waves or electromagnetic microwaves. Also, surgeons can inject the tumor with alcohol or freeze it with a metal probe to kill it. 4. Targeted Treatments: Targeted treatments uses drugs that treat the changes occurred in the cells which may cause cancer. Since these treatments are used to combat cells that are cancerous, it has fewer sides -effects than chemotherapy. 5. Radiation: In this procedure, high-energy waves are used to annihilate cancerous cells. You can undergo this treatment before or after surgery in an effort to minimize the size of the tumor or stop it from relapsing. Radiation allows to ease the pain and other symptoms, however, there are a few side- effects like red, blistered skin, nausea, and problems with your bowels or bladder. Once the treatment comes to an end, these problems usually go away.

2. Apart from the types of treatment options available, you should consider side-effects, risks and cost of the procedure to find the best option. After discussing these factors with the doctor, you can make an informed decision quite quickly.