Colon 

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States when excluding skin cancer. Arizona Center for Cancer Care specializes in diagnosing and treating colon cancer. With offices throughout the Valley, including clinics in Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Surprise, Anthem, Peoria, Fountain Hills, Wickenburg, Apache Junction, Sun City, Sun City West, Goodyear, and Tempe, Arizona, the cancer center helps many people get the care they need. Call the nearest office or schedule a consultation online today. Telemedicine appointments are also available.

What is the colon?

The colon, or large intestine, is part of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Its primary job is to remove fluid and electrolytes from food waste. The waste then moves to the rectum before you eliminate it from your body.

There are many conditions that affect the colon, including constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diverticulosis. Colon cancer is also a serious and common disease that affects the colon. 

What is colon cancer?

Colon cancer also called colorectal cancer, is cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. Most colon cancers start out as benign colon polyps. It can take years before colon polyps turn into cancer. Colon cancer screening tests look for and remove colon polyps before they have a chance to become colon cancer. Regular colon cancer screenings can save your life. They also help find this type of cancer during the early stages when it’s more responsive to treatment.

Your risk of developing colon cancer increases as you get older. Having a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps also increases your risk.

Common symptoms of colon cancer include a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool, and abdominal pain.

What tests diagnose colon cancer?

A colonoscopy and biopsy of polyps or abnormal growths diagnose colon cancer. Once you get a positive biopsy result, you may need additional testing for cancer staging. Noninvasive tests like CT colonography and Cologuard stool test can also diagnose colon cancer. 

Arizona Center for Cancer Care is a comprehensive cancer center that performs imaging tests, including CT scans and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans, to evaluate, diagnose, and determine the extent of colon cancer.

The specialists at AZCCC use the information from imaging studies to develop a treatment plan.

What are the treatments for colon cancer?

Your colon/rectal cancer treatment plan may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. When applicable, physicians at AZCCC will be able to offer you a personalized treatment plan based on the unique profile of your tumor and your fitness level. For early-stage colon cancer, usually, surgery alone will be sufficient. In certain situations, when your risk of cancer recurrence is high, your physician may offer you chemotherapy to reduce future cancer risk. For locally advanced colon cancer that has spread to lymph nodes, chemotherapy is routinely offered after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer coming back. In contrast, patients with locally advanced rectal cancer benefit from a combination of chemotherapy and radiation prior to proceeding with surgery. For patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs, a combination of chemotherapy and targeted therapy is the mainstay of treatment. 

Surgery

Surgery is the main treatment for colon cancer and involves the removal of the cancerous tumor and some of the surrounding healthy tissue, along with nearby lymph nodes. Colon cancer outcomes are best if the surgeon is able to remove the tumor completely along with an adequate number of lymph nodes. AZCCC physicians work with surgeons using the latest techniques like robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery to ensure the best possible outcomes. 

Medical oncology

Medical oncology is an area of cancer care that uses drugs to treat cancer. Chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of early-stage and advanced colon cancer. At AZCCC, we strive to bring the benefits of the latest advances in cancer treatment to our patients. Using genomic profiling of cancer cells; your medical oncology team may be able to design a personalized therapy tailored to the unique attributes of your cancer. Genomic profiling helps doctors pick the right mix of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy to treat cancer. Many patients with unique genetic markers may experience long-lasting benefits from targeted therapies. Arizona Center for Cancer Care also actively participates in clinical trials so that you can access the most innovative and cutting-edge treatments. 

For comprehensive colon cancer care, call Arizona Center for Cancer Care or schedule an appointment online today.