A biopsy is often taken to confirm the diagnosis of cancer, and other tests such as chest xray, CT or MRI scans, and endorectal ultrasonograghy are done to stage the cancer. Treatment Treatment depends on a number of factors, including the general health of the patient and the size, location, type, and extent of the tumor. Doctors classify the cancer into different states based on the information and choose different treatments for them. These can be surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Surgery is the main form of treatment in most patients with colorectal cancer.
Doctors often combine two or more methods to treat more advanced stage cancers.
Patients may also take part in clinical trials which are used to assess new treatments for cancer. Patients are generally treated by a team of specialists, which may include a radiologist, gastroenterologist, a colorectal surgeon or surgical oncologist, a medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist. These added therapies can improve the cure rate, and may be given before or after the surgery. Ablation is often reserved for the treatment of technically unresectable disease. Recurrent cancer may also develop at the original site of the colorectal cancer.