According to the National Cancer Institute estimates, 142,570 men and women in the United States will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2010. More than 51,000 of them will die of their cancer. For those who develop colon cancer, advances in treatment are being made daily.
Surgery
Because of better understanding of the disease, surgery is accepted as the primary treatment for patients with colon cancer. Techniques for removing the cancer have improved as well as survival rates, according to the National Cancer Institute. The Institute states that surgery can successfully eliminate the cancer in 90 percent of colon cancer cases when found early. Recently, a National Cancer Institute-funded study showed that laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective method of removing cancer when the cancer is operable. Laparoscopic surgery is less invasive, requires less recovery time and causes less pain than conventional open surgery for colon cancer.
Targeted Therapies
Targeted therapies are treatments with very precise mechanisms of action. For instance, monoclonal antibodies target specific biological processes that influence tumor growth and spread. A monoclonal antibody is a protein that binds to specific substances in the body, including tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies can carry drugs and work alone or in combination to treat cancer. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that interferes with the development of new blood vessel growth in the tumor. The National Cancer Institute states that when bevacizumab is given in combination with other chemotherapy, it increases the length of survival and reduces the risk of death from colon cancer.
In the Near Future
According to the National Cancer Institute, characterizing key genetic changes that initiate tumor growth and progression is one of the major challenges facing colon cancer research. The Human Genome project has moved research closer to identifying the entire spectrum of genomic changes that occur in cancer growth. Once the inherent changes are identified, it will be easier to develop therapies that address the genetic changes that cause tumor growth. Studies researching molecular markers that identify when a person has cancer are being done. Molecular markers will make it easier to identify patients early for treatment.
Virtual colonoscopy is on the horizon. Virtual colonoscopy is a noninvasive way of doing a colonoscopy with a computerized tomography, or CT, scan. According to MedlinePlus, a recent study showed that low-dose aspirin could reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
