Management
Your doctor would recommend one or a combination of the following management options depending on your condition, the location of the cancer and its stage.3,4
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
Targeted Drug therapy
Surgery
The removal of the bowel portion that is affected by cancer in a surgical procedure is commonly offered as an option for patients with colorectal cancer at different stages of the disease3
Total colectomy involves removing the entire colon.
Partial colectomy involves removing part of the colon and may also be called subtotal colectomy.
This can be done either via open or minimally invasive approach5
Open or minimally invasive bowel resection?
In an open procedure, surgeons use a large incision so they can see into the body.
In minimally invasive surgery, surgeons use a laparoscope (a tube-like device with a camera), and several small incisions to view and operate inside the abdominal cavity.
Benefits of minimally invasive surgery4
Faster
Healing
Recovery of bowel function
Hospital discharge
Decreased
Pain
Infection rate6
1
H. Jaap Bonjer, M.D., Ph.D., Charlotte L. Deijen, et al. A Randomized Trial of Laparoscopic versus Open Surgery for Rectal Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2015 Apr 2; 372:1324-1332
2
Ferlay J, Ervik M, Lam F, et al. Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2020. Available from: http://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/10_8_9-Colorectum-fact-sheet.pdf, accessed 18 February 2022.
3
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). (2021, June 11). Colon Cancer: Symptoms & causes. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colon-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353674, accessed 18 February 2022
4
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). (2021, June 11). Colon Cancer: Diagnosis & treatment. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colon-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353669, accessed 18 February 2022
5
Marta Pascual, Silvia Salvans, Miguel Pera, et al. Laparoscopic colorectal surgery: Current status and implementation of the latest technological innovations. World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Jan 14; 22(2): 704–717.
6
Giorgio Gandaglia, Khurshid R Ghani, Akshay Sood, et al. Effect of minimally invasive surgery on the risk for surgical site infections: results from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Database. JAMA Surg. 2014 Oct;149(10):1039-44.