Colon Cancer: Treatment Options, Medication Research

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Resection Procedure and Post-op Guidelines
Sigmoidoscopy and Exploratory Laparotomy
Colon Cancer Treatment Options
Medication Research
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Colon cancer typically begins in the large intestine, which is at the end of the digestive tract and is called a colon. Such type of cancer is usually linked with two distinct kinds of precursor polyps. The disease is one of the most significantly spread ontologies worldwide and in the USA particularly. In some cases, colon cancer is referred to as colorectal cancer, which is a combination of colon and rectal polyps. Several variations of colon cancer may share a large number of similarities yet require a wide diversity of treatment approaches. Even though colon cancer may occur at any age, it primarily affects adults.

It affects both women and men regardless of racial and ethnic groups. People between the age of 50 and 75 have the highest risk of having colon cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). According to some sources, colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death, and the number of victims increases yearly (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Hence, a wide variety of statistical studies is conducted in order to record such cases and develop frameworks for timely detection and treatment.

Resection Procedure and Post-op Guidelines

Colon cancer may require surgery in order to prevent the lethal outcome. However, it may be necessary to implement distinct techniques depending on the stage and specifics of a concrete case. Early-stage colon cancer may be the most common and easiest to operate. Removing early-stage cancer may require minimally invasive surgery. There are three main approaches to resection in the case of early-stage colon cancer.

First is utilizing colonoscopy to remove the polyps and prevent further spread. It may be only possible if the cancer is small, localized, and contained in a polyp. Second, endoscopic mucosal resection may be implemented in later stages. Such a method is also conducted during colonoscopy but involves resection of the inner lining of the colon. Finally, laparoscopic surgery may be utilized when it is not possible to remove the polyps during colonoscopy. Relatively small incisions are required to remove more extensive colon cancer. In some cases, lymph node samples may be collected in order to ensure surgery success.

In cases of more advanced colon cancer, more significant surgical intervention may be required. Partial colectomy may be the only possible way to remove colon cancer at such stages (Ulanja et al., 2019). The procedure involves partial resection of the colon in order to remove the tissue, which contains colon cancer. In most cases, it is possible to restore the remaining parts of the colon and rectum to reconnect them. Even though such surgical intervention is conducted with minimal invasion, it may not be possible to restore the functions of the colon and rectum fully. In these cases, specific surgery called ostomy may be needed.

Such a procedure involves creating an artificial container for stool. Depending on the complexity of a particular case, an ostomy may be temporary or permanent. As already mentioned, samples of lymph nodes may be collected during the surgery and tested for colon cancer. In cases of very advanced colon cancer, it may not be possible to treat it via surgery. Nevertheless, there are surgical procedures that may be conducted in order to reduce aggravating symptoms. Chemotherapy may be utilized as a complementary post-op treatment as it is designed to terminate the remaining cancer cells.

Sigmoidoscopy and Exploratory Laparotomy

Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that may be implemented to test a wide variety of disorders. It involves putting a tube with a camera into the lower part of the colon. Such a procedure may be conducted as a screening test to identify colon or rectal cancer. Exploratory laparotomy is also used to examine the internal structures of abdominal organs. It may serve as a diagnostic tool to identify the possible cause of a patient’s symptoms and diagnose the disorder. It may also be implemented to determine a considerable list of diseases and particularly colon cancer. The procedure is usually conducted under general anesthesia to ensure optimal conditions. Such surgery may be painful, and it is necessary for the patient not to move.

Colon Cancer Treatment Options

There are several treatment options besides surgical intervention and resection. These therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy. As already mentioned, chemotherapy involves using specific drugs that are designed to destroy cancer cells. X-rays and protons may be used during radiation therapy for a similar purpose. It may decrease the size of colon cancer and simplify surgical removal. Targeted drug therapy is designed to identify specific drugs that may kill colon cancer cells. Immunotherapy is a treatment approach that focuses on utilizing the immune system. The immune system may be able to cure cancer, yet it may not identify cancer cells as foreign objects. Immunotherapy maintains the proper functioning of the immune system to treat advanced stages of colon cancer.

Medication Research

Generic name	Norvasc	Allopurinol	Zofran
Action	Used to treat high blood pressure and prevent strokes or heart attacks.	Used to decrease the production of uric acid in the body	Used to reduce nausea and vomiting
Dosage and Routes	Dosage is based on medical conditions (5-10mg)	Varies with the severity of the disorder (100-800mg/day)	16mg 1-2 hours before the therapy
Side effects	Dizziness, lightheadedness, swelling ankles/feet, or flushing	Ankle, knee, or great toe joint pain, joint stiffness or swelling, rash	diarrhea or constipation; headache; drowsiness; tired feeling.
Contradictions and Precautions	Allergy-related precautions. May not be suitable in cases of low blood pressure and before surgeries. Dizziness may be worsened by alcohol or cannabis.	Contraindicated in clients who have idiopathic hemochromatosis. Precaution for rhabdomyolysis. risk is higher in clients taking statins for high cholesterol and those who have impaired kidneys or liver	Concomitant apomorphine. Should not replace nasogastric suction. May mask a gastric distension.
Pharmacokinetics	Absorbs into the blood during 6-12 hours.	Absorbs from the gastrointestinal tract during 1,5 hours.	Absorbs into the blood after 15-60 minutes. Completely absorbs during 6 hours.
Interactions	More than 429 drugs interact with Norvasc, 19 have major interactions.	56 drug interactions. Interacts with warfarin and may cause bleeding	Zofran interacts with 318 drugs and has 117 major drug interactions
Nursing Considerations	may cause gingival hyperplasia grapefruit juice may increase drug level monitor blood pressure and pulse prior to and during therapy monitor intake and output assess for signs of CHF assess characteristics of angina instruct patient of interventions for hypertension and how to take blood pressure	May be needed to alkalinize the urine and encourage intake of fluids. Should also monitor liver enzyme	Patient should avoid over the counter cold medications Assess lung sounds Maintain adequate fluid intake

Conclusion

As mentioned before, treatment approach significantly depends on the stage of colon cancer. Therefore, it may be essential to timely diagnose the disease and proceed with surgery. Colon cancer examination is recommended to people above the age of 45. The priority physical assessment is examining the abdomen. Checking the vitals and skin in order to determine the presence of anemia is beneficial. These physical examinations may be relatively easy to implement and may provide critical preliminary assessment. There also are several procedures that may contribute to timely assessment of colon cancer. Colonoscopy should be conducted as it is the most effective way of finding polyps.

Virtual colonoscopy may also be implemented, yet normal colonoscopy may be required to remove polyps or other abnormalities. Fecal blood test and fecal immunochemical tests may also contribute to the identification of colon cancer. Conclusively, there is a wide variety of methods to diagnose colon cancer and timely implementation may be the key to preventing serious health consequences.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Use of colorectal cancer screening tests. Web.

Ulanja, M. B., Rishi, M., Beutler, B. D., Sharma, M., Patterson, D. R., Gullapalli, N., & Ambika, S. (2019). Colon cancer sidedness, presentation, and survival at different stages. Journal of Oncology, 2019, 1–12. Web.

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