Treatment for bowel cancer is based on the stage and severity of the disease, location, size and characteristics of the tumor, and surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy may be indicated.
Bowel cancer can be cured when diagnosis is made in the early stages of the disease and treatment is started soon after, as it is easier to avoid metastasis and control tumor development. However, when the cancer is identified in later stages, it becomes more difficult to cure, even if treatment is done according to a medical opinion.
- Surgery is usually the treatment of choice for bowel cancer and usually involves removing an affected part of the intestine and a small part of the healthy intestine to ensure that there are no cancer cells in place.
When the diagnosis is made at an early stage, surgery can only be performed by removing a small part of the intestine, but when the diagnosis is made in more advanced stages, the person may need to undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy to reduce the size of the tumor. and be able to perform the surgery. See how bowel cancer surgery is performed.
Healing after bowel cancer surgery takes time and during the postoperative period, the person may experience pain, fatigue, weakness, constipation or diarrhea and blood in the stool, it is important to inform the doctor if these symptoms persist.
After surgery, your doctor may recommend the use of pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medications to promote healing and relieve symptoms that may occur after surgery, as well as antibiotics to prevent infections. In addition, depending on the extent and severity of your cancer, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy may be indicated to reduce the size of the tumor, recommended before surgery. In addition, it may also be indicated to control symptoms and prevent tumor development. Thus, radiation therapy can be applied in different ways:
Side effects of radiation therapy are generally less aggressive than chemotherapy, but include skin irritation in the treated area, nausea, fatigue and irritation of the rectum and bladder. These effects tend to subside at the end of treatment, but irritation of the rectum and bladder may persist for months.
Like radiation therapy, chemotherapy can be used before surgery to decrease tumor size or as a way to control tumor symptoms and development, but this therapy can also be done after surgery to remove cells. carcinogens that have not been completely eliminated.
Therefore, the main types of chemotherapy used in bowel cancer may be:
Examples of drugs used in chemotherapy include capecitabine, 5-FU and irinotean, which can be given by injection or tablet form. The main side effects of chemotherapy can be hair loss, vomiting, loss of appetite and recurrent diarrhea.
Immunotherapy uses certain antibodies injected into the body to identify and attack cancer cells, preventing tumor growth and the risk of metastasis. These drugs do not affect normal cells, thus reducing side effects. The most commonly used immunotherapy drugs are Bevacizumab, Cetuximab or Panitumumab.
Side effects of immunotherapy in the treatment of bowel cancer may include rashes, stomach pain, diarrhea, bleeding, light sensitivity or breathing problems.