Colon Info

Traditional or Alternative Colon Cancer Treatment?

According to the U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group, in 2005, 72,007 men and 69,398 women were diagnosed with colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer. People who are 50 years above, has a family of colon cancer or even just colon polyps, and has a lot of vices are more prone to developing colon cancer at any given time.

Although the word cancer might seem a really frightening word since it is the cause of why millions of lives were lost, it is treatable. Colon cancer is not an exception. The traditional colon cancer treatment options are the following:

1. Surgery

The most common among the colon cancer treatments is colon surgery especially if the cancer is detected at an early stage.

1. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, or chemical treatment, is used to be able to kill cancer cells and to keep them from dividing and multiplying. It is sometimes recommended as a stage 2 colon cancer treatment, often recommended as a stage 3 colon cancer treatment, and is a must for stage 4 colon cancer treatment.

1. Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is also known as radiotherapy or radiation oncology. As its name implies, it involves the use of radiation to get rid of cancer cells. There is a concern about using this, however, since it may trigger the development of radiation-induced types of cancers.

Aside from these traditional colon cancer treatments, alternative ones are also being considered nowadays. These colon cancer alternative treatments can best be defined in layman’s terms as non-traditional treatments and are generally being accepted only just recently. Some of these colon cancer alternative treatments are the following:

1. Herbal Therapies
2. Nutritional Therapies
3. Biological Therapies
4. Pharmacological Therapies
5. Metabolic Therapies
6. Adjunctive Therapies
7. Energy Therapies
8. Mind-Body Therapies

To be able to determine which colon cancer treatment would be the best for a patient, the doctor would need to run several tests first. Among the colon cancer tests are colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, barium enema, and biopsy. These tests will be able to help determine whether cancer cells are existing in the colon and also, help determine as to which stage the cancer has already metastasized. For advanced colon cancers, which are more or less at stage 3 or 4, the most common treatment is surgery with chemotherapy, which are considered as an advanced colon cancer treatment combination.

To be able to prevent contracting colon cancer as early as now, avoid foods that are high in fat and are low in fiber, exercise often,  and live a healthy lifestyle. To be able to really have a great preventive measures program, you may go ahead and consult a physician.