Chemotherapy to be Considered Over Surgery First for Metastatic Colon Cancer

A recent study at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York shows that for late stage metastatic colon cancer patients, it might be better of having chemotherapy and not undergoing surgery to remove the tumors.

Researches reviewed over 200 cases, finding that over 90% of the patients did not have complications that would require surgical intervention.

Metastatic colorectal cancer means that the cancers have already spread beyond the original location. Because these cancers cannot be completely cured through surgery (as they hav already become stage IV and spread to other organs, the new thinking is to treat with chemotherapy first, and surgery afterward or not at all.

Dr. Philip Paty presented some of these findings at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He said that it may make sense to do chemotherapy first rather than delay the chemotherapy for a surgical procedure. The surgery itself can cause life threatening complications and weaken the patient.

Colon cancer is the forth most common cancer in the US, and is the second leading cause of cancer death. Colon cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers, as with routine screening colonoscopies polyps can be detected in the colon and remove before they have any chance to develop into a cancer. Depending on family history, many doctors will recommend routine screening colonoscopies at age 50 or earlier.