Diagnosis And Treatment Of Stage 3 Colon Cancer.

If you or a family member (or friend) has been affected by cancer then you will probably be aware it is defined in stages. The stage of cancer will relate to how advanced it is and much it has been able to affect the body. In this article we look at the colon, and in particular stage 3 colon cancer. This website aims to give cancer information in a clear and easy to understand format that a patient or loved one can understand, and not be faced with information overload. When looking at stage 1 and 2 colon cancer you will see that the information has been kept as simple as possible to make for easy reading and understanding. However, when looking at stage 3 colon cancer we do need to go slightly into more detail. You see with each different stage of colon cancer their are sub-divisions and various methods that doctors use, and if you do some further research you will see that experts refer to stage A, B1, B2 along with many other variables and methods. In this article we will look at the various sub-divisions of stage 3 colon cancer and attempt to the information relative, and simple to understand.

Stage 3 colon cancer is split into 3 groups, which determine how far the tumour has spread. In all cases the cancer will have penetrated the inner-most and middle layers of the colon and will have also begun to affect surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. These 3 groups are known as stage 3A, 3B, and 3C.

Stage 3A will mean that the tumour has, (as mentioned above) made it's way through the inner-most layer, and reached the middle layers of the colon. It may also have affected as many as 3 lymph nodes in close proximity. Stage 3B and 3C colon cancer are quite similar and are distinguished by the amount of lymph nodes affected. In these cases the cancer will have penetrated the middle layers of the colon and may affect surrounding nearby tissue. It may also have spread to nearby organs including the ovaries or bladder. There is also a tissue that is called the peritoneum. This tissue covers most of the organs that are in your abdomen and in groups B and C of stage 3 colon cancer; this tissue may also be affected. Stage 3C will be diagnosed if the cancer is as above and has spread to 4 or more lymph nodes.

Treatment of all groups in stage 3 colon cancer is similar. Generally you will be given a 'resection' operation. Put simply, this means that your colon will be cut and have the offending area taken out. The healthy ends remaining will then be joined back together. After your operation you will normally be given chemotherapy, or radiation treatment, or a combination of the 2. Frequently you will be asked to participate in clinical trials. These are of course optional but a good idea as they will widen you treatment options and often offer you the best possible outcome.