Colon Cancer in Northwest Arkansas

Survival rates for cancer are divided into types and subject to the degree it has spread when its diagnosed. Localized colorectal cancer is cancer that is strictly in the colon or rectum. Regional colon cancer is when the disease moves to the nearby tissues and body parts, and distant is when the disease has circulated to distant sections of the body.

• Localized colon cancer: 90% 5-year survival rate
• Regional colon cancer: 71% 5-year survival rate
• Distant colon cancer: 14% 5-year survival rate

If the cancer is diagnosed early and only presents in a few cancerous growths, then the tumors can be extracted, resulting in remarkably elevated rates of survival.

We suggest receiving a colonoscopy at the time you are 45 years old to detect cancer early on. If colorectal cancer is diagnosed in your family, then we suggest obtaining a screening for colorectal cancer at a GI Alliance of Arkansas location near you as soon as you can.

Treatment for colorectal cancer in Northwest Arkansas patients can vary based on the spread of the disease. Each case is different, but the greatest thing you can do for colorectal cancer is to prevent it.

Prevention

Colorectal cancer is a unique form of cancer since it is preventable. Colon cancer first appears in the form of tumors. These growths can be eliminated, reducing your danger of dying from cancer by 90%. Your personal risk and prevention steps can be determined at a colorectal cancer screening with your GI doctor.

Stage 0 Colon Cancer Treatment

Stage 0 colon cancer is when colorectal cancer has not spread beyond the interior lining of the colon. If the polyp is small enough, it can generally be extracted with a colonoscope during the course of a colonoscopy.

Stage I Colon Cancer Treatment

If the polyp is thoroughly extracted during a colonoscopy with no cancerous tissues at the edges, no continued therapy may be necessary. If the extracted growth does have cancerous cells at the edges, further extraction might be necessary to remove the residual cancerous tissue. For cancers not in a polyp, a partial colectomy could be necessary to remove the section of the colon and neighboring lymph nodes that are cancerous.

Stage II Colon Cancer Treatment

Typically, in stage 2, surgery is conducted to excise the area of the colon or adjacent lymph nodes affected by cancer. In some cases, a specialist may also recommend adjuvant chemotherapy (chemo following surgery).

Stage III Colon Cancer Treatment

A partial colectomy and then adjuvant chemotherapy is the typical treatment approach for this type of colorectal cancer.

Stage IV Colon Cancer Treatment

This phase of cancer normally means that the disease has spread to other tissues or organs. Surgery may be necessary to remove portions of the cancer identified in the colon and different organs. Chemotherapy may also be recommended. Chemotherapy at this stage is typically administered prior to and following surgery.