Colon Cancer Prognosis

The earlier you can detect cancer, the better the prognosis will be. As with any other form of cancer, the early stages are the easiest to treat and possibly cure. Later stages of the developing disease can spread and cause many more problems, making it harder for the doctors to treat. The importance of early detection cannot be stressed enough by medical professionals.

Cancer cells are cells that have transformed and are growing abnormally. They can cause lumps, masses, and tumors in the body. They can grow extremely large and spread to other areas of the body. If you catch them in the "small" stages, it is more likely that the cancer can be surgically removed or treated with great results.

Stage I

In Stage I of this cancer, the prognosis is very good. A person has a greater than 90% chance of a five-year survival rate. In this stage, cancer has usually only penetrated the superficial part of the bowel wall.

Stage II

The chance of surviving Stage II of this cancer for five or more years, depending on the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, is from 55% to 85%. In this stage, the cancer has usually penetrated the muscular layer of the bowel wall.

Stage III

The chance of surviving Stage III of this cancer for five or more years is between 20% and 55%. In this stage, the disease has usually worked through the bowel wall and has infected nearby lymph nodes and organs. Patients who have three or fewer infected nodes have a better prognosis than those who have four or more infected nodes.

Stage IV

The chance of surviving Stage IV colon cancer for five or more years is less than 5%. In this stage, the cancer has usually spread to other areas of the body, such as the lungs. Not all Stage IV colon cancer patients are in the same condition; therefore, the prognosis can be different. Studies have shown that patients with less than three masses on the liver can have a 20% to30% chance of surviving five years.

You can now see why early detection of colon cancer is so important. It really does play a big role in the prognosis.

Treatment - The most common treatment for the early stages of colon cancer is the removal of the section of the colon that contains the abnormal cells. The colon is then rejoined and sewn back together. There are new studies being done on the effectiveness of different treatments for late stages of colon cancer. Your physician will be able to effectively tell you what you can expect in treatment options, because every cancer patient and every case of the disease is different.

Scheduling a regular exam is in your best interest and will help you to detect colon cancer in the earlier stages. Signs and symptoms can take weeks or months to become obvious, so if you are in the risk categories for developing colon cancer, regular exams are very important. Contact your physician immediately if you suspect that anything may be wrong.