|
I’ve had treatment for colorectal cancer. Can my cancer come back?
Each year in the United States, an estimated 131,000 people are diagnosed
with non-inherited colorectal cancer. Sixty percent are diagnosed with stage II
or stage III cancer, which is treated with surgery. In 35 percent to 40 percent of those patients, the cancer will come
back (recur) within three to five years of treatment. Colorectal cancer may come
back at its original site (local recurrence), in another part of the body
(distant recurrence) or both. Recurrent cancer of the colon often is found in
the liver and/or lungs.
If the cancer has come back in only one part of the body, treatment may
consist of an operation to take out the cancer. If the cancer has spread to
several parts of the body, a doctor may give a patient either chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The patient
also may choose to participate in a clinical trial testing new chemotherapy drugs or biological therapy.
How is a recurrence detected?
As with any disease, early detection is important for successfully treating a
recurring cancer. Being open with your doctor about any signs or symptoms, or
changes in your health will help him or her evaluate your risk for recurrent
cancer. Open dialog with your doctor has other benefits, as well, such as
providing an opportunity to discuss prevention, diet, new therapies, and other
health concerns.
Following are the screening recommendations after treatment for colorectal
cancer:
- Regular exams with your doctor — This includes a
history and physical examination every three months for the first two years
after cancer surgery, then every six months for three years and then
annually.
- Colonoscopy — A colonoscopy is a
test in which a fiber-optic device is used to examine the large intestine,
or colon. Many physicians use routine annual or six-month colonoscopies, but
recent studies show that a colonoscopy at least every three to five years is
all that is needed.
- A "CEA" test. — Some cancers, but not all,
shed a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) into a patient’s
bloodstream. This CEA protein can be a "marker" for the return of
cancer. It is recommended that CEA testing be performed every two to three
months in patients with Stage II or Stage III colorectal cancer for two or
more years after diagnosis and treatment.
|
