Saturday, June 4, 2011

Colon cancer treatment and diagnosis

COLON CANCER TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATIONS

CT construe (CAT scan): A machine that makes a series of careful pictures of areas exclusive the body, condemned from different angles. The pictures are made by a machine linked to an x-ray machine. A colour haw be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the meat or tissues exhibit up more clearly. This machine is also titled computed tomography, processed tomography, or processed axial tomography.

Lymph convexity biopsy: The removal of all or part of a lymph node. A specialist views the tissue low a microscope to countenance for cancer cells.

Complete blood count (CBC)
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A machine that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a machine to attain a series of careful pictures of areas exclusive the colon. A substance titled metal is injected into the patient finished a vein. The metal collects around the cancer cells so they exhibit up brighter in the picture. This machine is also titled thermonuclear attractable resonance imagery (NMRI).

Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the meat and clappers exclusive the chest. An x-ray is a identify of energy shine that can go finished the embody and onto film, making a picture of areas exclusive the body.

Sigmoidoscopy: A lighted probe (sigmoidoscope) is inserted into the rectum and lower colon to analyse for polyps and other abnormalities.

Colonoscopy: A lighted probe titled a colonoscope is inserted into the rectum and the entire colon to countenance for polyps and other abnormalities that haw be caused by cancer. A colonoscopy has the advantage that if polyps are found during the machine they can be immediately removed. Tissue can also be condemned for biopsy.

TREATMENT

Surgery is the most common communication for colorectal cancer. During surgery, the tumor, a small edge of the surrounding healthy bowel, and adjacent lymph nodes are removed. The doc then reconnects the healthy sections of the bowel. In patients with rectal cancer, the rectum is permanently removed. The doc then creates an opening (colostomy) on the cavum wall finished which solidified waste in the colon is excreted. Specially trained nurses (enterostomal therapists) can help patients adjust to colostomies, and most patients with colostomies return to a normal lifestyle.
Treatment depends partly on the stage of the cancer. In general, treatments haw include:
Chemotherapy to kill cancer cells
Surgery (most ofttimes a colectomy) to remove cancer cells.
Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue.
Stage 0 colon cancer haw be treated by removing the cancer cells, ofttimes during a colonoscopy. For stages I, II, and threesome cancer, more extensive surgery is needed to remove the part of the colon that is cancerous.
There is whatever debate as to whether patients with stage II colon cancer should obtain chemotherapy after surgery. You should discuss this with your oncologist.
Almost every patients with stage threesome colon cancer should obtain chemotherapy after surgery for roughly 6 - 8 months. The chemotherapy take 5-fluorouracil has been shown to increase the chance of a cure in destined patients.
Chemotherapy is also utilised to treat patients with stage IV colon cancer to meliorate symptoms and preserve survival.
For patients with stage IV disease that has spread to the liver, different treatments directed specifically at the liver can be used.

Although radiation therapy is occasionally utilised in patients with colon cancer, it is commonly utilised in combination with chemotherapy for patients with stage threesome rectal cancer.


No comments:

Post a Comment