Cancers regardless of where it occurs usually start in one section of the body. If this is not treated, the cells will spread to nearby tissues and this is exactly what happens when you have stage 2 colon cancer.

Stage 2 colon cancer is also known as Duke B colon cancer. There are two types namely 2A and 2B. You are diagnosed to have 2A colon cancer if it has spread beyond the middle tissue layers of the colon wall or has infected around the rectum. You will have 2B if it has gone beyond the peritoneum.

Being diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer does not mean it is fatal. This is because it is still treatable and doctors will have to determine what the best option is.

Surgery is one option on the table. This type of procedure is called a resection or anastomisis wherein the infected colon is removed and then the cut ends are joined together. This can only be done if it cannot be extracted through a local excision.

Doctors will not know yet at that point if the procedure worked which is why the patient will have to come back for regular checkups. If the cancer cells were not completely removed, other procedures are then put on the table.

One of the most effective ways to treat stage 2 colon cancer patients is chemotherapy. This is done by injecting a variety of drugs into the bloodstream enabling it to travel around the body to search and destroy the cancer cells.

The patient will have to bear with the sides effects associated with the use of chemotherapy. Some of these include diarrhea, hair loss, mouth sores and low white blood cell count.

Biological therapy or immunotherapy may also be offered to the patient. This can be used with other kinds of therapy. It is very similar with chemotherapy since two agents such as Levamisole and Calmette-Guerin will be injected into the bloodstream to help the body fight the cancer cells.

Radiation therapy can also help treat those that are diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer. The machine will be directed to small areas of the body in the hopes that this can destroy the cancer cells. It is a painless procedure and all the patient has to do is lie still for a few minutes. You will lose some hair and have swelling or reddened skin, which can be treated with some prescribed medication.

Treatment for those with stage 2 colon cancer is usually done for 6 to 8 months. Sadly, 25 to 40% of those that were diagnosed will experience a recurrence later on. This is because science has not yet invented the machines to detect it, which are better known as micrometastases.

Colon cancer is considered to be the number 2 leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. The good news is that it can still be treated even if you have been diagnosed with stage 2 of this disease.

No one can live forever but if you want to live a little longer, then you should ask your doctor what treatments are available. Entrusting your life to the doctor may let you live for a few more years instead of waiting for it to shut down every system in your body.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •