Colon Cancer Stages 4 Photos
Stage iv is when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body beyond the colon.
Colon cancer stages 4 photos. Stage iv colon cancer has a relative 5 year survival rate of about 14. If you have any of these symptoms seek immediate medical help. And within a stage an earlier letter means a lower stage. Chemotherapy may also be used after surgery called adjuvant treatment.
People with colon cancers that have not spread to distant sites usually have surgery as the main or first treatment. At its earliest stage stage 0 colon cancer is limited to the inner lining of your colon. Stage 4 colon cancer is classified into two categories stage 4a and 4b. In all but the last stage doctors remove the tumors and surrounding tissue.
As colon cancer progresses it can grow through your colon and extend to nearby structures. Surgery has a very high cure rate in the early stages of colorectal cancer. Ronnie kaufman blend images 4 istock. Symptoms of colon cancer may not be present or be minimal and overlooked until it becomes more severe.
Treatment for colon cancer is based largely on the stage extent of the cancer but other factors can also be important. Learn the symptoms of stage iv colon cancer and which tests your doctor uses to find the right treatment. As a rule the lower the number the less the cancer has spread. This stage indicates that cancer has spread to one distant site such as the liver or lungs.
Cancer screening tests for colon cancer thus are important in individuals 50 and older. A higher number such as stage iv means cancer has spread more. The most common sites that colon cancer spreads to include. This means that about 14 of people with stage iv colon cancer are likely to still be alive 5 years after they are diagnosed.
Most adjuvant treatment is given for about 6 months. Metastatic colon cancer might cause symptoms in your liver lungs bones or abdomen. The most advanced stage of colon cancer stage iv indicates cancer has spread to other areas of the body such as the liver or lungs. The earliest stage colorectal cancers are called stage 0 a very early cancer and then range from stages i 1 through iv 4.