In a 2021 study, it was found that that an estimated 1.39 million adults in the United States were currently diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and that roughly 4% of the adult population will receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives. Based on 2017-2021 cases, it was estimated that about 37 out of every 100,000 American adults would be diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. Similar to other types of cancer, such as gastrointestinal and abdominal cancer types, undergoing regular screening and watching out for symptoms of colorectal cancer is vital in determining signs as to whether or not this cancer may be present, allowing a customized treatment plan to be formulated early on before the cancer has a chance to mature and spread to other areas of the body.

Because colon polyps on their own usually don’t cause any easy-to-detect symptoms, it can be difficult to diagnose potential colorectal cancer patients without performing a detailed search of a patient’s colon, such as a colonoscopy. Once detected, polyps (even non-cancerous ones) can be surgically removed to prevent the chances of future cancers from occurring.

In more advanced cases, usually determined by the exact location of the cancer in a patient’s large intestine, common symptoms of colorectal cancer can include (but are not limited to) frequent diarrhea or constipation, bleeding from the rectum, bloody stool, abdominal pain or cramps, a frequent sensation of needing to have a bowel movement, weakness/fatigue, and a sudden amount of weight loss.

If you detect one or more of these symptoms, reach out to your doctor right away and discuss whether or not further testing for colorectal or other cancer types may be required. Determining a potential cancer diagnosis early on can make all the difference when minimizing symptoms and coming up with a treatment plan that provides a patient with the best possible chance of becoming cancer-free.

Once diagnosed, there is a number of methods through which colorectal cancer can be treated. Typically, this will begin with scans of a patient’s abdomen, chest, and pelvis to determine what stage of growth the cancer has reached. Depending on what stage, a combination of surgery and radiation treatment will usually be used to remove any infected cancerous areas, and to reduce the chance of any cancerous cells spreading to elsewhere in the body.

At early stages, such as when the cancer (or potential cancer) is contained to a single polyp, the removal of these polyps as part of a standard colonoscopy is very straightforward. In more advanced cases, larger polyps may need to be removed during a colonoscopy through a process called endoscopic mucosal resection, which specializes taking out a small portion of the lining around the colon along with the polyp(s).

For polyps that cannot be removed during a regular colonoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopic surgery, is generally recommended as a separate procedure to remove any infected areas with minimal risk to the patient. This surgery involves entering the body with a camera through several small cuts made in the abdominal wall, and may include the removal of several samples from the lymph nodes to gather further information into how advanced the cancer has progressed. For more advanced cases, additional surgery, such as a partial colectomy, or removal of a part of the patient’s colon, as well as the removal of lymph nodes from a patient’s body to be used in further testing.

Once surgery is done, your healthcare team may also recommend chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. While chemotherapy involves the delivery of chemicals into your body that are poisonous to cancer cells, radiation is a process through targeted doses of radiation are applied to diseased areas, killing the cancer cells and further reducing the chance of them being able to metastasize or spread to elsewhere in the body.

The two primary types of radiation used in the treatment of colorectal cancer include image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). EBRT can consist of additional treatment types, such as three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and volumetric modulated arc radiation therapy (VMAT). Each type of radiation therapy has its own individual strengths, and choosing which type of radiation is best for you should be a detailed and customized process between you and your healthcare provider. Additional factors, such as whether or not you’ve had cancer in the past or have a family history of colorectal cancer, may further influence which type of radiation therapy you might be a good candidate for.

Colorectal cancer treatments can often come with some side effects, although taking care of yourself before, during, and after treatments can help manage these side effects.

Side effect: Abdominal Pain
What you can do: Try to maintain a simple diet that includes more fluids and less sugar, as well as easy to digest foods.

Side effect: Indigestion, Nausea, Vomiting
What you can do: Keep a record of foods and smells that trigger nausea or vomiting and try to avoid them. Avoid eating your favorite foods when feeling nauseous to prevent developing an aversion to them. Chew food slowly and thoroughly, and steer clear of fatty, fried, very spicy, or very sweet foods. Consider incorporating more lukewarm or cold foods into your diet.

Side effect: Bowel reactions such as diarrhea
What you can do: Aim to drink at least 8-10 cups of water daily and avoid using laxatives unless instructed by your care team. Steer clear of foods that can cause bowel reactions, such as fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, diuretics like coffee and tea, fried foods, or alcohol.