Side Effects Of Chemotherapy And Radiation Treatment For Colon Cancer

Side effects depend mainly on the type and extent of the treatment.

Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for colon cancer. Chemotherapy drugs used to treat colorectal cancer some drugs commonly used for colorectal cancer include. People with colon cancers that have not spread to distant sites usually have surgery as the main or first treatment. Your doctor has ways to help you manage chemo side effects and feel better during treatment. It s not common to use radiation therapy to treat colon cancer but it may be used in certain cases.

After surgery if the cancer has attached to an internal organ or the lining of the belly abdomen. Side effects can happen with any type of treatment for colorectal cancer but everyone s experience is different. Before surgery along with chemo to help shrink a tumor and make it easier to remove. The length of treatment for advanced colorectal cancer depends on how well it is working and what side effects you have.

During radiation therapy the healthcare team protects healthy cells in the treatment area as much as possible. Chemotherapy side effects depend on the drugs and the person. Cancer therapies like chemotherapy and radiation can be life extending and life saving but they come with side effects. Other people have only a few side effects.

Chemotherapy may also be used after surgery called adjuvant treatment most adjuvant treatment is given for about 6 months. Side effects may not be the same for each person and they may change from one treatment session to the next. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Treatment for colon cancer is based largely on the stage extent of the cancer but other factors can also be important.

Learn more about possible side effects. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Some occur as soon as treatment begins while others hit weeks later because of the cumulative effects of chemo medications or exposure to radiation. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue.

But the types of chemo drugs used to treat stage iv colon cancer usually don t make hair fall out. Radiation for colon cancer.