Colorectal cancer is characterized by the transformation of normal cells of the colon and rectum into cells that divide uncontrollably, damaging the surrounding normal colorectal tissue. Colorectal cancer is diagnosed in 153,000 people a year in the United States, 52,000 of which die from the disease, according to 2007 information from the online medical library Merck Manuals. The most common form of colorectal cancer treatment is surgery, of which there are a few different procedures.
Traditional Surgery
The Mayo Clinic explains that traditional colorectal cancer surgery involves a long surgical incision in the abdomen. In most cases of traditional colorectal cancer surgery, Merck Manuals notes that the portion of the intestine where the cancerous tissue is located is removed, as well as the nearby lymph nodes, and the remaining portions of the intestine are stitched together. If the rectum and anus needs to removed, a permanent colostomy is created. A colostomy is a surgically-created opening for the removal of solid waste into a colostomy bag.
Laparoscopic Surgery
The Mayo Clinic is one medical institution that performs laparoscopic surgery to treat both cancer of the colon and rectum. During this surgical procedure, a few very small incisions are cut in the abdominal tissue, as opposed to the one long surgical incision of traditional surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is advantageous because these small incisions heal much more rapidly than the long incision of traditional surgery, resulting in less bleeding during surgery and less pain after surgery. After the small incisions are made, the abdomen is filled with gas so that surgeons have room to work. A small video camera is also inserted into the abdominal cavity to enable the surgeons to view the entire area. Once the surgeons have access to the colon and/or rectum laparoscopically, the surgery proceeds similarly to a traditional surgery.
Robotic Surgery
Both the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic at Minnesota also use robotic surgery to treat colorectal cancer. Robotic surgery, like laparoscopic surgery, is a minimally invasive procedure, and thus the patient feels less pain, loses less blood, and has a quicker and easier healing time versus traditional surgery. The UC San Diego Health System uses a robotic system called the daVinci Surgical System. Like laparoscopic surgery, this colorectal cancer surgical procedure accesses the colon and/or rectum with very tiny incisions in the abdomen. The Mayo Clinic adds that using a robotic system to aid in the surgery gives the surgeon increased visibility, maneuverability and control when removing the cancer. The robotic instruments are inserted into the small incisions, and a camera projects a 3-D image of the colon and/or rectum onto a monitor. Robotic surgery is especially useful in treating cancer present in the rectal tissue that is very close to the anus, as this is a very small tight space.
