Southlake, TX, December 16, 2019 – Colorectal cancer is cancer that develops in the colon or the rectum. These cancers are sometimes separately called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start. The American Cancer Society approximates that about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer (that is, 53,760 in men and 54,310 in women).

“If we have a reason to believe that you have colon cancer arising from the signs and symptoms, a colonoscopy will be needed to look for colon cancer,” says Dr. Kancharla. “If one has colon cancer, additional tests will be ordered to determine the stage of cancer. Staging will enable us to affirm what colon cancer treatments are best for the patient.”

The essential stages in the diagnosis of colon cancer are:
• Stage 0: The tumor is in the first stage. It hasn’t developed beyond the inner layer (mucosa) of the colon or rectum.
• Stage 1: It has grown through the mucosa but hasn’t spread beyond the colon wall or rectum.
• Stage 2: Cancer has grown into or through the wall of the colon or rectum but hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 3: It has invaded the nearby lymph nodes but isn’t affecting other parts of the body yet.
• Stage 4: Cancer has spread to remote sites, such as other organs — for instance to the liver or lung
• Recurrent. Cancer has come back after treatment.

“All these staging tests may include imaging procedures such as abdominal CT scan or chest X-ray,” says Dr. Kancharla. “The three primary options for the treatment of cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Surgery is the primary treatment for colorectal cancer in most cases.”

About Southlake Oncology
Southlake Oncology, located in the Southlake and Grapevine area is a community-focused oncology practice that delivers exceptional care to North Texas cancer patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses and blood disorders. Like the other Choice Cancer Care facilities, we are an independent treatment center that is physician-owned.