Treatment Options
Treatments for colorectal cancer are typically a combination of several therapies:
- Surgery or radiotherapy treat localized cancer (although in some cancers that have already spread - metastatic cancers - can be used to minimize symptoms);
- Chemotherapy seeks to eliminate malignant cells that have spread from the initial tumor site (tries to eradicate the metastases);
- Chemotherapy may be associated with targeted therapies that inhibit tumor growth;
- Radiation or chemotherapy can be administered before surgery to decrease tumor size, or/and after to destroy any remaining malignant cells.
There is no single treatment for colorectal cancer. Your medical team has the knowledge and experience to suggest the best treatment(s) for you.
However, it is essential that you are informed, so that the treatment options are clear and that you agree with their implications.
It is also crucial that you collaborate with the doctors by providing information on your treatment response, to find the one that is not only the most effective but also the one you tolerate best.