The evolutionary stages and Management of colorectal cancer (staging)

 

The management of colorectal cancer depends on the stage of the disease. A tumor is classified in a different stage of development according to its size and its spread:

•      When the tumor is still small and it did not penetrate the mucous membrane, it is a cancer stage I.
•      Stage II tumors invade the muscle wall.
•      In stage III, they reach the lymph nodes.
•      Very rare, cancer stage IV, has spread to distant organs (it has metastasized).

Treatment options against colorectal cancer include:

•      surgery: eliminating parts of the colon cancer patients (and perhaps even the surrounding tissue);
•      irradiation: exposing the body to radiation to kill cancer cells;
•      drugs: that destroy cancer cells or induce the immune system to attack cancer cells.

In many cases, surgery is the main treatment in the management of colorectal cancer. It may be the sole treatment or be used in combination with radiation or drugs, depending on the stage of the disease.