Colon cancer surgery

A diagnosis of colon cancer can be overwhelming, but understanding your treatment options is a key step in your journey. Surgery is a very common and effective treatment for colon cancer, and this guide will walk you through what you need to know.

Diagnosis and Staging: How We Know

The first step in your treatment is understanding the specifics of your cancer.

Most colon cancers begin as small growths called polyps inside the colon. If a polyp is found during a routine screening test like a colonoscopy, it can often be removed right away. If a polyp is cancerous, your doctor will need to determine how far the cancer has progressed. This process is called staging.

Staging helps your medical team create the best treatment plan for you. The most common system used is the TNM system:

T (Tumor): How far has the cancer grown into the wall of your colon?
N (Nodes): Has the cancer spread to any nearby lymph nodes?
M (Metastasis): Has the cancer spread to other parts of your body, like the liver or lungs?

Based on the TNM findings, your cancer will be assigned a stage, from Stage 0 (the earliest form) to Stage IV (the most advanced).

Stage 0 and I: The cancer is in its earliest stages and has not grown deep into the colon wall.
Stage II: The cancer has grown through the wall of the colon but hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Stage III: The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IV: The cancer has spread to distant organs, such as the liver or lungs.

Management and Treatment Options

Your treatment plan will depend on the stage of your cancer and your overall health. Surgery is the most common treatment, especially for earlier stages, but other options may be used as well.

Stage 0 and I: Surgery is often the only treatment needed to remove the cancer.
Stage II: Surgery is the main treatment. Chemotherapy may be recommended after surgery if there are certain high-risk features.
Stage III: Treatment typically involves surgery to remove the tumor followed by chemotherapy.
Stage IV: Treatment is more complex and may involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy to manage the cancer.

Types of Colon Cancer Surgery

The goal of surgery is to remove the part of the colon containing the tumor. There are three main surgical methods:

Open Surgery: This is the traditional method where a surgeon makes a single, larger incision in the abdomen to access and remove the tumor.
Laparoscopic Surgery: This is a minimally invasive technique. The surgeon makes several small incisions and uses a special camera (laparoscope) to see inside the abdomen and remove the tumor with specialized instruments.
Robotic Surgery: This is another minimally invasive approach where the surgeon controls robotic arms from a console to perform the operation with great precision through small incisions.

Minimally invasive surgeries, like laparoscopic and robotic surgery, often lead to a quicker recovery time compared to open surgery. Your surgeon will discuss which approach is best for your specific situation.

Recovery After Your Surgery

Your recovery will depend on the type of surgery you had and your overall health.

You can expect a hospital stay of about two to four days after your procedure. It’s normal for your bowel function to be temporarily affected. You may experience some bloating, feelings of fullness, or loose stools for a while. You should be able to have a bowel movement within a few days of returning home.

Risks and Potential Complications

Like any major operation, colon cancer surgery carries some risks. The most common complications include bleeding, infection, and slow return of bowel function. Other potential issues are the formation of adhesions (scar tissue) or, rarely, injury to nearby organs. Your overall health and other medical conditions can influence your risk of complications. Your surgical team will take every precaution to minimize these risks and will discuss them with you before your procedure.