Chemotherapy is a treatment option that uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
There are specific drugs for each type of cancer, and the dosage and schedules depend on the type and spread of the cancer.
Chemotherapy can be administered in two ways:
Chemotherapy is just one of the therapies used in the treatment of colon cancer. In most cases, surgery is the first choice. However, doctor also use chemotherapy (with or without radiation) if the treatment requires it. Your doctor will be the best judge of what you need.
The types of chemotherapy for colon cancer depend on when and why it is given.
Primary chemotherapy: If the cancer is in an advanced stage, mainly if it has metastasized, and surgery is no longer a viable treatment option, primary chemotherapy can be administered as a palliative measure to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Adjuvant chemotherapy: In the latter stages of cancer, albeit when it is still considered potentially treatable, chemotherapy may be given after the cancerous tissue has been surgically removed. This is done to ensure that any remaining cancer cells (that may have spread to other parts of the body) can be killed.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Some doctors recommend that patients undergo chemotherapy prior to the surgery. This kind of chemotherapy is used to shrink the size of tumor so as to enable to surgeon to remove it at the time of surgery with ease as also fewer complications.
Chemoradiation therapy: At times, chemotherapy is administered alongside radiation to improve the efficacy of radiation.
While your doctor is the best judge of whether or not you should undergo chemotherapy, here's a general outline of when chemotherapy is used before/after surgery, by stages.
Stage 1: Chemotherapy is generally not used at this stage both before and after surgery.
Stage 2: Chemotherapy is typically not administered before the surgery. After surgery, the doctor may check for cancer cells in the lymph nodes and blood, if found, chemotherapy may be used. At this stage, you may be given chemotherapy as part of a clinical trial. Generally, stage 2 colon cancer does not involve chemotherapy.
Stage 3: Chemotherapy is generally used at this stage. Drugs involved include fluorouracil (5FU) along with leucovorin, capecitabine (given orally), and oxaliplatin (when the cancer has affected the nearby lymph nodes)
Stage 4: Primary chemotherapy is given to ease symptoms and improve quality of life.
Since chemotherapy not only kills cancer cells but also attacks healthy cells. Side effects include:
Effects of chemotherapy usually resolve themselves when the treatment is discontinued. Talk to you doctor about these side effects; most of them can be treated with medication.
The cost of chemotherapy for colon cancer will depend on the drugs used, dosage and schedules, and the health facility you visit. Typically, eight weeks of treatment can cost you anything from USD 300 to 30,000. While leucovorin and 5-FU are cheaper drugs, they are sometimes used in combination with newer drugs that can increase the cost drastically.
References