Deciding the next steps after a cancer diagnosis depends on a number of factors. One of the main processes that is common for everyone is the determination of the stage of cancer as it can give a perspective of how far the cancer has spread. The following are the different stages of colon cancer and its treatment:

• Stage 0: In this stage, abnormal cells are found in the wall of the colon, which is also known as the mucosa. This is also known as carcinoma in situ. During a colonoscopy, a polypectomy might be performed as part of the treatment that aims to remove all malignant cells. If the malignant cells have grown in number or occupied a larger area, an excision (minimally invasive surgery that can be done during a colonoscopy) may be performed.
• Stage 1: In this stage, cancer has spread beyond the mucosa and has entered the submucosa. This characteristic determines Stage 1. Submucosa lies below the mucosa and is the underlining of the large intestine. The deeper muscle layer of the colon wall could also be affected in this stage but cancer would not have been spread beyond that. A partial colectomy is a surgery that is done to treat this stage by removing the affected area. If this surgery involves the removal of a large affected part, it might also involve the rejoining of the healthy parts of the colon.
• Stage 2: In this stage, cancer has spread beyond the colon walls. However, the lymph nodes remain unaffected at this stage. Based on whether the cancer has spread to the outer colon wall (the serosa), past the outer colon wall without affecting the other organs, or past the outer colon wall having affected the organs, this stage is divided into sub-stages called 2A, 2B, and 2C, respectively. Surgery is a must in this stage to remove the affected areas. In some cases, chemotherapy may be suggested. If the removal of all the cancer cells is not possible, radiation may be recommended to kill the remaining cancer cells.

• Stage 3: In this stage, cancer has spread beyond the walls and affected the lymph nodes but not any other organs in the body. Based on which layers of the wall have been affected, and how many lymph nodes have been affected, cancer is further divided into the stages 3A, 3B, and 3C. Surgery and chemotherapy are a must for treating any substage during Stage 3. If an individual is not healthy enough for surgery, then they may choose to opt for radiation. Radiation can also be used to get rid of any cancer cells left after the surgery.
• Stage 4: In this stage, other organs have been affected too. Surgery can be done to remove small metastases. But chemotherapy would usually be required to shrink the tumors first.

A lot of factors go into the treatment of cancer. Gaining all the perspectives you can on the stage and condition of cancer can help find the best options for treatment.