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Cancer Information Tips :: Colon Cancer Stage 4
Colon Cancer Stage 4: The Most Advanced Stage of Colon Cancer Stage 4
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There are five stages of colon cancer. Stage 4 is the stage where the cancer has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body. Stage 4 is the most advanced form of colon cancer.
With colon cancer, stage 4 is the point where cancer will likely also be present in the lymph nodes. It is also likely that cancer will appear in a patient's liver or the lungs.
Earlier Stages of Colon Cancer
Colon cancer progresses in 5 stages. Stage 0 is when abnormal cells are found in the inner lining of the colon.
Stage 1 sees the cancer both form and spread to the middle layers of the colon lining. Stage 2 is when the cancer has spread to either tissues around the colon or rectum or nearby organs.
Stage 3 colon cancer sees cancer in up to three or four lymph nodes, as well as in nearby tissues or organs. In both stages 2 and 3 the cancer may also spread through the peritoneum, which covers most of the organs in the abdomen.
Symptoms of Stage 4
Colon cancer symptoms do not generally appear in early stages, so the disease can be hard to detect until it is in a later stage.
People with a history of colon cancer should talk to their doctors about getting screened for colon cancer. Stage 4 is an unfortunate point to first detect cancer.
When symptoms do begin to show, they will involve changes to your bowl movements. This includes diarrhea or constipation and blood in your stool.
Screening for Colon Cancer
Screening methods can include a colonoscopy, a fecal occult blood test , a sigmoidoscopy or a digital rectal exam. People should discuss the risks and benefits of these screening methods and create a timeline for testing with their doctor.
Treatments for Stage 4 Colon Cancer
A patient with colon cancer will generally be treated with some combination of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
Radiation is generally used to shrink the size of the tumor. Chemotherapy is often used in both stage 3 and stage 4 colon cancer to destroy cancer cells that cannot be removed with surgery.
A colectomy is a standard surgery for someone suffering from colon cancer. Stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to nearby organs may require a pelvic exenteration, which involves removing the colon and rectum along with other organs, like the bladder and either the prostate or uterus.
Whereas a colostomy is not necessarily required after a colectomy, in the case of a pelvic exenteration, a colostomy is required. In some cases, a urostomy will also be necessary.
Of course, all possible courses of treatment, as well as their benefits and drawbacks, should be discussed with your physician if you are suffering from colon cancer. Stage 4 cancer has a high mortality rate.
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CancerInfoTips.com :: Colon Cancer Stage 4