Patients with colostomies must learn how to care for the stoma and keep the area sanitary. In cases where the colostomy is permanent, the patient must wear a colostomy pouch, which sticks to the skin using a special glue. Men tend to have more emotional difficulties dealing with permanent colostomies than women do. The potential side effects of sexual and bowel dysfunction for colorectal patients can also be devastating. Colon cancer patients without a colostomy are at lower risk for these problems than patients with rectal cancer whose sphincter muscles are affected, but no one is immune to the psychologic repercussions of cancer and its consequences.
Positive emotions play a strong role in recovery.
Patients who are depressed should discuss with a physician all aspects of treatment that affect the quality of life and possibly seek support groups. III Colon Cancer Drug treatments are sometimes used after surgery to kill microscopic amounts of residual tumor cells. Such treatment is known as adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is particularly effective for Stage III patients but does not appear to provide any additional survival advantage for Stage II patients unless they are at high risk for recurrence. Although not yet known with certainty, stage II patients who might benefit from adjuvant therapy may be those who have cancers that have obstructed the bowel, perforated the intestinal wall, or adhered to structures outside the intestine.