Colorectal cancer symptoms & treatment

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among men and women in the U.S., but highly treatable in its earliest stage.

At Aurora Health Care, our board-certified gastroenterologists and oncologists understand colorectal cancer and apply their depth of experience to provide the best care for each person. We offer some of the most advanced treatment techniques available, including da Vinci robotic colectomy, for less pain, fewer complications, and faster recovery.

With cancer clinics across eastern Wisconsin, you can find care near you including a Spanish-language cancer clinic.

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Spanish cancer clinic

Colon cancer symptoms

Cancer can occur in any part of the colon. Cancer that arises in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Colon cancer and rectal cancer are referred to as colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is slightly more common in men.

Most colon cancers arise from polyps, or growths on the lining of your colon. These polyps are benign when they first appear, but some can grow and turn into cancer over time. Detecting polyps early, before any symptoms start, and removing them can prevent cancer from developing, which is why screenings are so important.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include:

• A change in the consistency, shape or frequency of bowel movements
• Bright red or very dark blood in your stool
• Constant tiredness
• Stools that look slimy or have mucous on them
• Abdominal discomfort such as cramps, bloating, fullness or gas pains
• Feeling unable to empty bowels
• Unexplained weight loss
• Vomiting

Who's at risk for colorectal cancer?

We know that an early detection of colorectal cancer can help save a life, but how do you know if and when you may need to get screened?

Adults over age 45 are at higher risk than other age groups. Other colon cancer risk factors include:

• If you have a history of colorectal cancer in your family, it is important that you share the information with your Aurora primary care physician. Your doctor will refer you for a screening.
• Having pre-cancerous polyps in the colon
• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn's disease
• Diet high in animal fat and low in calcium

Certain ethnic groups are at higher risks for colorectal cancer. Learn more about those affected.

Diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Physicians at Aurora Health Care use a number of tests to screen adults at high risk or those suspected of having colorectal cancer. Learn more about screenings, which can catch colorectal cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages.

Tests that detect pre-cancerous polyps and cancer include:

• Colonoscopy
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy
• Double-contrast barium enema
• Virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography)

Tests that detect cancer:

• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
• Guaiac fecal occult blood test
• Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
• Stool DNA test

Treatment options for colon cancer

If you’re diagnosed with colorectal cancer, rest assured you have some of Wisconsin’s best experts by your side. Together, our multi-skilled team will work closely with you to create a treatment plan, which may include the latest surgical, medical and radiation therapies to destroy cancer cells. Your doctor will discuss which treatment options are right for you.

Surgery is the primary form of treatment for colorectal cancer. We can remove tumors in either open or minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, with techniques that save the rest of your bowel so you won't need a permanent colostomy. Specialized surgical procedures include:

• Partial colectomy: A section of the colon containing the cancer is removed, along with nearby lymph nodes. This can be done through an open, robotic-assisted laparoscopic or hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) approach.
• Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) requires only a few small incisions in your abdomen, rather than the long single long incision in traditional open surgery. The surgeon uses a thin, lighted tube and tiny video camera to see the surgical site on a video monitor. HALS and laparoscopic surgery mean less blood loss, less pain and scarring, decreased rates of infection and a faster recovery time.
• Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is another laparoscopic option in which your surgeon makes just one small incision through your navel.
• Transanal resection: The surgery can be done through your anus without an incision in the abdomen if you have stage I rectal cancer
• TEMS (transanal endoscopic microsurgical excision): This technique allows your surgeon to remove some tumors higher up in the rectum through the anus without an incision in your abdomen.
• Low anterior (LA) resection: This surgery is used for cancers found in the upper and middle rectum. After surgery, the colon is attached to the lower rectum and you can pass stool in the usual way.
• Proctectomy with coloanal anastomosis/J-pouch: This surgery is used for cancers in the lower part of the rectum. During this surgery, your surgeon removes your entire rectum and attaches the colon to your anus. A pouch is constructed (using part of the colon) allowing stool to pass in the normal way. Your surgeon will also use TME (total mesorectal excision) to remove lymph nodes and reduce your risk of recurrence.
• Abdominoperineal (AP) resection: This surgery is used for cancers found in the lowest part, or anal area, of your rectum. During this surgery, your surgeon removes your anus, so you'll need a permanent colostomy.
• Robotic surgery: This is like laparoscopic surgery, but with special robotic technology. The robot allows your surgeon to perform more complex procedures with more precision than laparoscopic surgery alone.
• NOTES (natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery): This isn't used yet, but it's on the horizon. It's a technique that allows for abdominal surgery without scars because it's performed with a scope passed through a natural opening (orifice) such as the mouth or vagina.

After surgery, we may recommend chemotherapy or radiation to try to prevent the cancer from recurring. Our cancer specialists use radiation therapy primarily for rectal cancer. We use:

• External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
• CyberKnife® radiosurgery may be used to treat colorectal tumors that have spread to other organs such as the liver, lungs, brain or spinal cord.
• Interventional radiology, where specialized radiologists provide treatment options for colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver, such as:
  • Therasphere: Tiny glass beads called microspheres, injected through a catheter from the groin into the liver artery supplying the tumor, deliver radiation directly to tumors in your liver.
  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a nonsurgical, local treatment that kills tumor cells with heat.
  • Chemoembolization delivers a high dose of chemotherapy directly to the liver, while also depriving the tumor of its blood supply by blocking or embolizing the arteries feeding the tumor.
  • Cryoablation uses an extremely cold liquid to freeze your tumor.
  • Hepatic artery infusion pumps deliver chemotherapy through the blood vessel that supplies the liver.

Treating your cancer, caring for you

In addition to top-notch medical care, we’re committed to caring for the whole you, and providing the resources you and your loved ones need to manage a cancer diagnosis. At Aurora Health Care, we offer:

Access to cancer clinical trials

Cancer nurse navigators

Cancer counseling program