Determining Colon Cancer Treatment
Though it goes unseen by the human eye, this disease can have devastating affects with worst case results ending in a terminal prognosis. Be your own best friend. Maintain a close look out for symptoms, so you can schedule the very important colon cancer treatment.
Determine Treatment
If you are diagnosed with colon cancer, the doctor will conduct several tests to determine the level of severity or Duke’s Classification. Without question, as with any type of cancer, the sooner the disease is detected the easier it will be to treat. Early detection also means a greater chance of conquering and possibly eliminating the cancerous cells.
Your prognosis for treatment will depend on certain factors. Chiefly, colon cancer treatment is determined by whether the cancer is just in the wall lining of the large intestine, inside of the colon or has spread throughout the body into other organs.
Blood Tests
The treating physician will also use further knowledge to complete a prognosis. Additional considerations for the diagnosis include whether or not the cancer has caused a blockage in the intestines. Plus, the physician will want to conduct various blood tests to determine blood levels of a specific agent that runs in your bloodstream at different levels depending on how far the cancer has advanced. So, prior to recommending any form of colon cancer treatment, your physician will rely heavily on your general health, if the cancer has recurred, and what stage the cancer has advanced to.
Duke’s Classification – Stages
Staging is what doctors refer to as the tests that are conducted to determine the stage that cancer has advanced to. Once again, Duke’s Classification is referenced. You could expect the doctor to perform a CAT scan, which takes a look at the inside of the body by taking pictures. Often, this includes injecting a barium dye to more clearly see the organs in the x-ray. The doctor will probably also want to perform a lymph node biopsy which removes some of the cancerous cells and they are viewed under a microscope.
Additional Testing
Thorough testing can be expected. A complete blood count (CBC) test is common. he CBC is critical in providing the doctor extremely important information about the your white and red blood cells and platelets. It also indicates to the physician the levels of Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) that are in your bloodstream. Although CEA is released into your bloodstream from cancerous cells, it can also be from normal cells. Noting the higher levels, the physician can make a more informed diagnosis.
Because cancerous cells can be malignant as well as benign, it is necessary to complete different tests to be sure the colon cancer has not spread throughout the body. Possible testing also includes an MRI to look for cancerous cells, a chest x-ray to view critical organs within the chest cavity. At times, surgery is performed to remove cancerous tumors.
Determining colon cancer treatment is serious and involved. Unfortunately for the patient, it can become overwhelming. However, testing can prove to be very beneficial. With early detection of cancerous cells, your physician can manage and often remove the dangerous cells with proper colon cancer treatment.
