Colon Cancer Prevention
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women in the United States, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men and women combined. Colon cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer is diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease. At age 45 to 50, you should have a screening colonoscopy, barium enema or flexible sigmoidoscopy. If you have a family history of colon cancer, possibly even earlier.
Diagnosis
Polyps that develop from the inner wall of the large intestine are what cause colon cancer. Regular screenings by a gastroenterologist such as colonoscopies are important because colon polyps, and early colon cancer symptoms are often not detectable. The earlier the diagnosis, the greater the chance for survival.
Treatment
Under the direction of board-certified radiation oncologists, Saint Francis Medical Center provides advanced surgery and sophisticated therapeutic radiation treatments to treat various forms of colon cancer. Treatments for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers such as rectal cancer and colon cancer, include:
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Frameless stereotactic radiosurgery to precisely target tumors in various areas of the body
- CyberKnife® VSI™ Robotic RadioSurgery System, which delivers high doses of radiation with pinpoint accuracy
- Chemotherapy
