It is then returned to the physician's office to be checked. When the disease has been found and staged, your physician will suggest a treatment plan. The main treatment for colon cancer and the usual operation is called a segmental resection, in which the cancer and a length of normal tissue on either side of the cancer are removed, as well as the nearby lymph nodes. Internal radiation therapy uses small pellets of radioactive material placed directly into the cancer. Studies have shown that chemotherapy after surgery can increase the survival rate for patients with some stages of colon cancer.
Chemotherapy can also help relieve symptoms of advanced cancer.
The colon is the first six feet of the large intestine. It extends upward on the right side of the abdomen. The second section is called the transverse colon since it goes across the body to the left side. There it joins the third section, the descending colon , which continues downward on the left side. The fourth section is known as the sigmoid colon because of its S-shape.