Surgery for colon or rectal cancer
Using different surgical options for different stages of colorectal cancer.
Surgical removal of colon or rectal cancer is the most common treatment for colon
or rectal cancer. Different types of surgery are used at different stages
of cancer.
- Polypectomy: For Stage I colorectal cancer, surgery alone may be
used to remove the polyp or tumor. This is known as a polypectomy.
- Laparoscopic surgery: An alternative to a colectomy, laparoscopic
surgery is sometimes used to treat colon cancer. A laparoscope, attached to a video
camera, is inserted through a small cut or incision in the abdomen to guide the
surgical instruments that are inserted through other abdominal incisions.
- Liver resection: For Stage IV colorectal cancer or advanced colorectal
cancer, a surgical procedure called a liver resection is sometimes performed.
- Colostomy: When a cancerous tumor invades the bowel wall or surrounding
tissue, it may be necessary to remove the diseased part of the bowel during an operation
called a bowel resection. Sometimes the entire lower colon or rectum is removed
because it is diseased.
Find out how radiation is used to treat colon and rectal cancer