Other Treatments include:
Chemotherapy Treatments
This is the uses of anticancer drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing cells or by stopping them from dividing. This may also be used to reduce the likelihood of cancer spread and developing in a distant organ of the body. The drugs enter the bloodstream and can affect cancer cells all over the body. Chemotherapeutic drugs are usually given through a vein, but some may be given by mouth (orally). Delivery of chemotherapy may be accomplished in an outpatient part of the hospital or at home depending upon the chemotherapy but rarely is a hospital stay required.
This drug is administered either:
Drugs Include
for further information of each drug you can follow this link:
http://www.colorectal-cancer.ca/en/treating-cancer/treatment-cancer/#PPYiia
Side effect of Chemotherarpy
Chemotherarpy depends on the drug administer .Some come side effects a Patients may suffer (one or more) include
Advanced Technology including Image-Guided Radiation a targeted therapy and intensity modulated Radiation which is a complementary as well as an integrative therapy.Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, is the use of various forms of radiation to safely and effectively treat cancer. It works by damaging the genetic material within cancer cells thereby limiting their ability to successfully reproduce. Normal cells are also affected by radiation, but they are able to repair themselves in a way that cancer cells cannot. Advance method of radiation is by delivering the radiation to targeted the tumour area only as much as possible.
Radiation therapy may be utilized in a number of ways. If the goal is to cure the cancer that is in stage II and early III , then the radiation therapy may be used to:
This is the uses of anticancer drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing cells or by stopping them from dividing. This may also be used to reduce the likelihood of cancer spread and developing in a distant organ of the body. The drugs enter the bloodstream and can affect cancer cells all over the body. Chemotherapeutic drugs are usually given through a vein, but some may be given by mouth (orally). Delivery of chemotherapy may be accomplished in an outpatient part of the hospital or at home depending upon the chemotherapy but rarely is a hospital stay required.
This drug is administered either:
- after surgery to increase the survival rate for patients with some stages of colorectal cancer (called adjuvant therapy) for mostly stage III but some time Stage II.
- before surgery in an effort to shrink the cancer and render surgery easier (called neoadjuvant therapy) for mostly Stage II but some time stage III
- as the primary treatment (palliative therapy) and as a means of relieving symptoms for stage IV rectal cancer.
Drugs Include
- Capecitabine (Xeloda)
- Fluorouracil (5FU)
- Folinic Acid (Leucovorin)
- Irinotecan (Camptosar, CPT11)
- Mitomycin C (Mutamycin) mostly for stage IV only
- Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
- Tegafur-Uracil (UFT or UFUR or Ftorafur, or Uftoral)
for further information of each drug you can follow this link:
http://www.colorectal-cancer.ca/en/treating-cancer/treatment-cancer/#PPYiia
Side effect of Chemotherarpy
Chemotherarpy depends on the drug administer .Some come side effects a Patients may suffer (one or more) include
- fatigue
- diarrhea
- mouth sores (mucositis)
- nausea or vomiting
- decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection
- decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding
- decreased red blood cell count (anemia) with increased risk of tiredness (fatigue)
- hand and foot syndrome or palmar-plantar syndrome (soreness and redness of hands and feet)
- numbness and tingling in hands and feet
Advanced Technology including Image-Guided Radiation a targeted therapy and intensity modulated Radiation which is a complementary as well as an integrative therapy.Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, is the use of various forms of radiation to safely and effectively treat cancer. It works by damaging the genetic material within cancer cells thereby limiting their ability to successfully reproduce. Normal cells are also affected by radiation, but they are able to repair themselves in a way that cancer cells cannot. Advance method of radiation is by delivering the radiation to targeted the tumour area only as much as possible.
Radiation therapy may be utilized in a number of ways. If the goal is to cure the cancer that is in stage II and early III , then the radiation therapy may be used to:
- Destroy tumours that have not spread the body and therefore cure the body of the disease
- Reduce the risk that cancer will return after undergoing surgery or chemotherapy by killing small amounts of cancer that might remain
- Shrink the cancer before undergoing surgery (neoadjuvant)
- If the goal is to control or reduce the symptoms caused by growing tumours, stage IV thereby improving the quality of life (better known as palliative care or palliation), radiation may be used to:
- Shrink tumours that are interfering with quality of life, such as a lung metastasis causing shortness of breath
- Relieve pain by reducing the size of a tumour
External Beam Radiation Therapy is frequently used in patients with rectal cancer because the rectum does not move as much as the colon and is thus easier to target. Others include Internal radiation therapy. Another is Intra operative radiation therapy or IORT, targeted radiation on the effected organ during surgery as shown in fig10.0.
Side Effects which depends on the type of Radiation therapy include:- More frequent bowel movements, occasionally with diarrhea, abdominal cramping or rectal discomfort or pressure
- Fatigue and loss of appetite which is temporary
- More frequent urination
- Burning with urination
- Nausea
- Bloody stool
- Shrink tumours that are interfering with quality of life, such as a lung metastasis causing shortness of breath
Biologics (Targeted Therapy)
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific parts of cancer cells, which make them different from normal cells. This therapy without harming the normal cells as it dose not have the features of the cancer cells that the drug is design to target.
Monoclonal antibody therapy is a type of targeted therapy employed in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Monoclonal antibody therapy uses antibodies (proteins) made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell originating from man or animal. These antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies attach to the substance and kill the cancer cells, block their growth, or keep them from spreading which is administered given by infusion. Some may be used alone while others must be administered in combination with chemotherapy. Because these drugs affect only colorectal cancer cells, they often cause fewer side effects than chemo. Targeted therapies approved for colorectal cancer are designed to treat metastatic colorectal cancer, cancer that has spread to nearby or distant organs. The targeted therapies that are approved for use in colorectal cancer include bevacizumab (avastin), cetuximab (erbitux) and panitumumab (vectibix). Other monoclonal antibodies used in the treatment of cancer are used to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to cancer cells and newer studies are looking at using them with chemo in earlier stage cancers as part of adjuvant therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
This also have side Effects depending on the drug used, some of these side effects include:
- Elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
- Headache
- Mouth sores (mucositis)
- Diarrhea
- Lost of appetite
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Blood clots
- Nosebleed
- Low white blood cell count with increased risk of infection (neutropenia)
- Skin rash on face, neck and trunk (dermal toxicity)
Other advanced treatment are coming out, such is Genetic Mutations to Anti-EGFR Therapies and immunotherapy which is still in clinical trial.
Note: for further information of each drug you can follow this link:
http://www.colorectal-cancer.ca/en/treating-cancer/treatment-cancer/#PPYiia
copyright@2013 K.Bobbo