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Colon Cancer Treatment Overview
Learn About Colon Cancer Treatment With This Overview of the Options

By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD, About.com

Updated: August 13, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Understanding Colon Cancer Treatment

Colon cancer treatment may seem overwhelming, but taking some time to learn about your options will help you work with your doctor and find the right treatment. The colon cancer treatment plan that is best for you will depend on your stage of disease.

What Are My Colon Cancer Treatment Options?

Colon cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies. Doctors may use only one or some combination of these treatments.

If your cancer is in the earliest stages, surgery may be the only treatment you need. If your cancer is more advanced, you may need surgery plus chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. If you are being treated at a large cancer facility, you may have other options, such as monoclonal antibody treatment or cancer vaccines.

Colon Cancer Surgery
Information on what to expect during and after colon cancer surgery.

Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer
Information on what to expect during chemotherapy for colon cancer.

Radiation Therapy for Colon Cancer
Information on what to expect during radiation therapy for colon cancer.

Targeted Therapies for Colon Cancer
Information on what to expect during targeted therapies for colon cancer.

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Colon Cancer
Learn about monoclonal antibody therapy for colon cancer.

Sources

Cavallo F, Forni G. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy with an emphasis on vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2009 8:25-8.

Jansen J, Butow PN, van Weert JC, van Dulmen S, Devine RJ, Heeren TJ, Bensing JM, Tattersall MH. Does age really matter? Recall of information presented to newly referred patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol 2008 26:5450-57.

Ong LM, Visser MR, Lammes FB, van Der Velden J, Kuenen BC, de Haes JC. Effect of providing cancer patients with the audiotaped initial consultation on satisfaction, recall, and quality of life: a randomized, double-blind study. J Clin Oncol 2000 18:3052-60.

Stephens MR, Gaskell AL, Gent C, Pellard S, Day-Thompson R, Blackshaw GR, Lewis WG. Prospective randomised clinical trial of providing patients with audiotape recordings of their oesophagogastric cancer consultations. Patient Educ Couns 2008 72:218-22.

Johns Hopkins Colon Cancer Health Alerts. Accessed: January 21, 2009.
http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/colon_cancer/

The American Cancer Society. Making Treatment Decisions. Accessed January 21, 2009.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_8_Making_Treatment_Decisions_Colon_and_Rectum_Cancer.asp

The National Cancer Institute. Targeted Cancer Therapies: Questions and Answers. Accessed: January 22, 2009.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/targeted

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