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Colon Cancer Treatment Plans: Surgery, Chemo, or Radiation

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Dr. Vrundali Kannoth•6 minutes•10 Oct 2025

Colon Cancer Treatment: Everything You Should Know

Being diagnosed with colon cancer can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to know that recovery is possible, and many people go on to live full, healthy lives after treatment.

When caught early, colon cancer is highly treatable, and understanding the available treatment options can help reduce fear and provide more clarity about the path ahead.

Even better, the healthcare team works closely with you or your loved ones to develop a personalized treatment plan. It’s tailored to your diagnosis and health to deliver the most effective care possible.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the most common colon cancer treatment options, including surgery, chemotherapy, and other therapies. Find out how each approach is typically used and what to expect so you feel more confident to start the care journey.

How is colon cancer treatment planned?

Once the stage of colon cancer is diagnosed, a team of specialists, also referred to as a multidisciplinary team (MDT), comes together to create the most effective treatment plan.

They consider how far the cancer has grown, where it has spread, and the person's overall health. The MDT also discusses the different treatments and their side effects with patients or their close ones to understand patient preferences.

Colon cancer treatment typically involves surgery to remove the cancer, often combined with or followed by radiation and chemotherapy for colon cancer.

However, colon cancer surgery is nothing to be worried about, as the medical team helps patients prepare before surgery. It involves a combination of physical exercises, dietary changes, and emotional support to reduce treatment complications and enhance recovery.

Colon cancer surgery: The first line of treatment

Surgery is often the most effective way to treat colon cancer, especially when the disease is caught early. There are different kinds of surgeries that can be done, and the specific approach depends on how far the cancer has spread and where it's located in the colon.

Some of the colon cancer treatment options are as follows:

Polypectomy

Polypectomy is a stage 1 colon cancer treatment. The procedure removes small, early-stage cancer that’s confined to a polyp. It’s usually done during a colonoscopy, where the provider inserts a thin, flexible tube with a camera into the colon, finds the polyp, and removes it using a wire loop or special tool.

Since it doesn’t involve making incisions into the abdomen, recovery is quick, and no hospital stay is needed. Polypectomy is only suitable when the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the polyp.

Local resection

This surgical procedure is for small, early-stage cancer that uses a colonoscope to get inside the rectum and remove cancer from the bowel lining alongside a small margin of healthy tissue.

Using small, specialized tools, the surgeon carefully cuts out the cancerous tissue without the need for any external incisions. For local resection, the recovery period is often short, and the risk of complications is low.

Colectomy (partial or total)

Depending on the cancer spread, a colectomy removes part or all of the colon. In a partial colectomy, only the section of the colon with cancer and a small margin of healthy tissue around it are removed. The remaining parts are then joined together.

In a total colectomy, the entire colon is removed, which is less common and usually done when cancer affects a large area or if there are other health issues. This procedure is done through open surgery or minimally invasive techniques like laparoscopy.

Colostomy

A colostomy creates an opening called a stoma in the abdominal wall and connects the end of the colon to it. This allows the stool to leave the body and go outside in a bag, bypassing the lower part of the colon or rectum.

The colostomy can be temporary, giving the colon time to heal after colectomy, or permanent, if the lower rectum is removed and can't be reconnected.

Chemotherapy: When and why, it’s used

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Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses strong drugs, also known as anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. The drugs are usually given through a vein (IV) or as pills in cycles over a few months. It is used at different stages of colon cancer treatment.

Sometimes, it’s given before surgery to shrink the tumour or used as the primary treatment when surgery isn’t possible, particularly when the cancer is large or has spread to the lymph nodes.

At the same time, chemotherapy is also commonly used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of cancer coming back.

While chemotherapy is quite effective, it can cause some side effects, such as:

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    Fatigue
  • •
    Nausea
  • •
    Loss of appetite
  • •
    Hair thinning
  • •
    Drop in white blood cells

However, these side effects are often manageable with medications, and most improve once treatment is complete.

Radiation therapy: A less common approach

Radiation for colon cancer uses high-energy focused beams to kill cancer cells. Radiation for the colon is unusual, but in some cases, it is recommended when the cancer has spread to nearby tissues and can't be fully removed by surgery or returned after treatment.

Colon cancer treatment by stage can include radiation and chemotherapy together. Radiation therapy is done in short sessions over weeks and can have the same side effects as chemo, which improve once the sessions end.

Targeted therapy and Immunotherapy

Targeted therapy use medicines that attack or block certain chemicals in cancer cells that help them grow. These treatments are mainly used for colon cancer stage 4 treatments or when the disease has spread widely.

On the other hand, immunotherapy is a treatment that helps the body's immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. It's also used for advanced colon cancer treatment when standard treatments like surgery aren't enough or don't work well.

Life after treatment: What to expect

After the colon cancer treatment is completed, one can expect regular monitoring and check-ups as part of follow-up care to prevent cancer from coming back.

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The healthcare provider will schedule check-ups every 3 to 6 months for the first 3 years and every 6 to 12 months for the next five years.

During these visits, the provider will probably recommend the following tests to monitor recovery and watch for cancer recurrence.

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    Blood tests (like CEA levels)
    to check for tumour markers
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    CT scans
    to monitor internal organs
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    Colonoscopy
    to detect new polyps or early signs of cancer

Wrapping up: What you must remember

Since colon cancer treatment plans vary from person to person and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, it’s important to know about your specific diagnosis and discuss it openly with the doctor.

For that reason, it's a good idea to prepare a few questions before visiting your doctor. These include:

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    What is the stage of cancer?
  • •
    What are my treatment options?
  • •
    What are the latest colon cancer treatments?
  • •
    Are there any safe clinical trials I can look at?
  • •
    What are the risks and benefits of each one?
  • •
    Is regular follow-up care or screening needed?

Once a person knows what to expect with each treatment, it becomes easier to make decisions that feel right.

Remember,

it takes time to recover from colon cancer treatment, and some ups and downs along the way are common. However, one can ensure a smooth recovery by focusing on maintaining a healthy diet, staying active, and caring for mental health.

FAQs on colon cancer surgery

Colon cancer is usually diagnosed through a combination of tests, starting with a colonoscopy, where doctors visually examine the colon and remove any suspicious polyps for biopsy. Doctors also use additional tests like CT scans, blood tests (including CEA levels), and imaging studies to confirm the diagnosis and determine the stage of the cancer.

While colon cancer surgery is often the first and most common approach for treating cancer, particularly in early-stage cases, it is not always necessary for every patient. In advanced stages, doctors may recommend alternative treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy based on the progression of cancer.

It depends on different factors, including the stage of the cancer, the type of treatment used, and how the patient responds to therapy. Recovery from surgery takes a few weeks, whereas chemotherapy lasts for several months. Treatments can sometimes be extended depending on the patient's progress and side effects.

Yes, many people can fully recover from colon cancer, especially when it is diagnosed and treated in the early stages. With the right treatment, timely follow-ups, and lifestyle changes, many patients lead a healthy, cancer-free life.

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