What You Need to Know about the Stages of Colon Cancer
Colon cancer has risen to become the second major cause of deaths due to cancer in the US. In 1999 alone, around 130,000 new diagnoses of colon cancer has been reported, with around 56,600 of them leading to fatalities. The sad thing about these deaths is that most of them could have been prevented because colon cancer can be treated well if detected very early on. Thus it is important to know the different stages of colon cancer, especially knowing that its symptoms only occur very much later during advanced stages when it may no longer be treatable.
Colon cancer progresses through four very distinct stages with a fifth progression known as recurring. Each colon cancer stage require different treatments. Here are the stages of colon cancer:
Zero Stage Colon Cancer
Though not considered by most as a real stage of colon cancer, this point is seen often to lead into the more serious progressions of colon cancer if not treated properly. At this point, the cancer involves only the mucosa or the lining of the rectum or the colon. The cancer is just limited to polyps, bulging tissues on the organ surface. Polyps with cancer cell can easily be removed while performing a colonoscopy and their chance to progress into more serious stages of colon cancer are eliminated.
First Stage Colon Cancer
This is the first serious stage of cancer where the malignant cells go beyond polyps and involve more of the colon’s inner lining. The polyp at this point has progressed into a tumor that is now attached to the rectum or the colon’s wall. To treat this stage, the section of the rectum or colon that has cancer can be removed surgically in a procedure known as resection. Patients undergoing this procedure have a 95% rate of survival for five years.
Second Stage Colon Cancer
At this point of colon cancer, the cancer has already spread more than the colon’s wall extending into the tissue surrounding the organ but still not reaching the lymph nodes. The spreading of cancer in this manner is called metastasis. This stage of colon cancer is still treatable with resection, however, the rate of survival drops significantly to just about 60% for five years.
Third Stage Colon Cancer
At this point, the cancer has went beyond the surrounding tissues of the colon onto the lymph nodes. While the cancer has not yet spread to other body parts, this stage requires stronger treatment. Apart from resection, patients are to undergo chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy along with other medical therapies. The survival rate for five years would now just be about 35% to 60%.
Fourth Stage Colon Cancer
This is considered as the most serious stage of colon cancer when the malignant cells have reached other organs in the body through the lymphatic system. Resection of affected parts may still be done alongside chemotherapy and radiation therapy plus the removal of other body parts with cancer. However, the rate of survival for five years would only be around 3% at this point.
Fifth Stage or Recurrent Colon Cancer
When cancer has been treated successfully but returns at some point after whether in the colon or other organs, the condition is referred to as recurrent. The patient’s condition may even be worse than it was during the first occurrence of cancer at this stage. Thus it is important to get regular tests for cancer even if colon cancer has been treated successfully.
Colon cancer is very much treatable when detected during its early stages. In fact, it is among the most curable of all types of cancers. However, when colon cancer progresses into the latter stages, it becomes the second deadliest form of cancer next to lung cancer, at least in the United States. People think that the only treatment for colon cancer is colostomy, however only about 15% of colon cancer patients would require this.
With most types of curable diseases prevention and early detection is the best cure. It is thus important to be consistent with one’s health regimen and to be faithful to one’s regular medical appointments to ensure that this type of cancer would not lead into serious progressions such as death.
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