What You Should Know About End Stage Colon Cancer

The fourth stage of colon cancer, also called end stage colon cancer, is the most serious stage. The main difference between stage four and the previous stages is how far the cancer has spread from the colon. Once you reach end-stage colon cancer, the cancer has usually spread to your lungs, liver and lymph nodes.

End Stage Colon Cancer Defined

To get past the colon, the cancer has to spread beyond five different layers of membrane including two layers of muscle. Once colon cancer has spread through the five layers, it hits a lymph node or a blood vessel where it can spread easily to any other organ within your body. At that point, you have reached end stage colon cancer.

Symptoms of End Stage Colon Cancer

By the time your doctor finds the primary tumor, it is usually a half inch or more in size and has at least a million cells. At this point, you have likely had colon cancer for three to seven years. If you have a tumor with at least a million cells (about a half-inch tumor) and the cancer cells double in number, then the size of your tumor will quadruple.

Your symptoms of end stage colon cancer may include bowels vacillating between constipation and diarrhea. You may have severe abdominal pains and a bloated abdomen and/or stomach. Unexplained weight loss and feeling fatigued are other symptoms of colon cancer. Blood in your stool is another major cause for concern.

Diagnosis of Colon Cancer

To diagnose colon cancer, your doctor will use several tests to determine if you have colon or rectal cancer. You will likely receive a physical exam and a blood test, an X-ray, an ultrasound, and one or more scans (CT, PET, or MRI).

In spite of all of the tests you may need to take, your doctor cannot diagnose end stage colon cancer based on test results alone. Your doctor will look at your tests results and then order a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. A biopsy involves your doctor taking tissue samples from any areas that don't look normal. At the lab, a technician will examine the tissue under a microscope to see if it contains cancer.

If you are a colon cancer survivor, it is critical that you have regular checkups so that if your cancer recurs, you can find any new colon cancer as quickly as possible. Your survival rate increases dramatically if you catch colon cancer in its early stages rather than at the end stage.

Treatment of End Stage Colon Cancer

Doctors treat most cases of colon cancer by performing a resection. A resection is the surgical removal the cancerous segment of the intestine along with any nearby lymph nodes. Then the surgeon connects the ends of the remaining intestine. In the case of end stage colon cancer, you may have already had a resection and may require additional surgery to remove cancerous tissue that has spread to other areas of your body. Since the cancer has spread in end stage colon cancer, your doctor will likely order chemotherapy treatment or radiation therapy after the surgery to help kill any remaining cancer cells.

Survival Rates for End Stage Colon Cancer

Survival rates for end stage colon cancer are grim. Less than one percent of people diagnosed with end stage colon cancer survive for five years. Stage zero and stage one colon cancer have survival rates of 90% or better, thus it is important to get proper medical tests and screenings, such as a colonoscopy (internal examination of the rectum and colon) on a schedule recommended by your doctor.