Depending on the stage of the cancer, there are several treatment options available.
Learn about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy treatment options
here.
Title: Treatment options
Depending on the stage of the cancer, there are several treatment options available,
including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and immunotherapy.
Surgery is used to remove the tumor and is the most common treatment for colorectal
cancer.
Chemotherapy involves drugs that kill cancer cells throughout the body (unlike surgery
and radiation therapy, which are local treatments). Your doctor may prescribe one
or more chemotherapy drugs.
In radiation therapy, or radiotherapy treatment, a beam of high-dose radiation—high
enough to kill cancer cells—is aimed at the area of the body where the cancer was
discovered. In some cases, a small container of radioactive material is placed into
or near the tumor.
Immunotherapy means that an outside agent is introduced to stimulate the body’s
own immune system (which fights infections and other illnesses) helping it recognize
and work to eliminate cancer cells.
Cancer treatments are sometimes used in conjunction with each other. For example,
it's common to pair surgery or radiation with chemotherapy. Combining treatments
can help ensure cancer doesn’t spread.
Adjuvant therapy is a treatment that comes after your primary treatment. It helps
kill cancer cells that may have been left behind after your primary treatment –
including undetectable cells that may have traveled elsewhere in your body.