What is the treatment for advanced colorectal cancer

For all diseases such as cancer, we usually use surgery in clinical practice, but this does not mean that there is only one way to treat cancer, and the same is true for colon cancer. Experts say that surgery is not always used to treat colon cancer, but it is analyzed based on the patient's condition. So, do you know what methods are there to treat colon cancer?

【Surgery】

1. Right hemicolectomy is suitable for cancers of the cecum, ascending colon and hepatic flexure of the colon.

2. Left hemicolectomy is suitable for cancers of the descending colon and splenic flexure of the colon.

3. Transverse colectomy is suitable for transverse colon cancer.

4. In addition to resection of the sigmoid colon, sigmoid colon cancer should also be treated with descending colon resection or partial rectal resection.

5. The surgical principle for patients with intestinal obstruction is that if the patient's condition permits, a primary resection and anastomosis can be performed. If the patient's condition is poor, a colostomy can be performed first, and a secondary radical resection can be performed after the condition improves.

6. Principles of surgery when radical surgery is not possible: when the tumor is extensively infiltrated, or is fixed to surrounding tissues and organs and cannot be removed, or the intestinal tract is already obstructed or may be obstructed, a short-circuit surgery or colostomy can be performed. If the tumor has metastasized to distant organs and local tumors can still be removed, local palliative resection can be used to relieve symptoms such as obstruction, chronic blood loss, infection and poisoning.

【Chemotherapeutic drug treatment】

Patients after surgery can generally use chemotherapy for 2 to 3 courses within one to one and a half years. The commonly used drugs are mainly 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which can also be combined with mitomycin, cyclophosphamide, etc. The total amount of 5-FU can be 7 to 10 grams per course. It can be taken orally or intravenously. It is best to add it to glucose solution for drip infusion, 250 mg each time, once a day or every other day.

If the reaction is severe, such as nausea, loss of appetite, weakness, decreased white blood cell and platelet counts, etc., the dosage can be reduced each time, or the interval can be increased. If bone marrow suppression is obvious, the drug can be stopped in time. The gastrointestinal reaction of oral administration is greater than that of intravenous administration, but the bone marrow suppression reaction is mild. During the medication, supportive treatment must be paid attention to, and drugs that reduce side effects must be used.

Chemotherapy for patients whose cancer cannot be removed can alleviate symptoms and control tumor growth to a certain extent, but the effect is poor and short-lived. If the patient's general condition is poor, the side effects are significant and the condition may be aggravated, so it is not suitable for use.