Stage 3 and Stage 4 of colon cancer are the advanced stages of cancer. As cancer progresses, treatment becomes difficult and the survival rate decreases. This article on the stages and treatment for colon cancer lists out the treatments for stages 3 and 4.

Treatment for advanced stages
The stages and treatment for colon cancer for treating stages 3 and 4 involve more complications. The initial stages of colon cancer are where the cancer has not spread away from the colon. Hence surgery can suffice in treatment. Chemotherapy would be needed in advanced forms of Stage 2.

When it comes to stages 3 and 4, these are advanced stages where the lymph nodes and other organs may be affected. More than one mode of treatment may be needed.

Stage 3
In Stage 3, there are three sub-stages, 3A, 3B, and 3C, where tumors have spread to the lymph nodes in increasing intensity. At this stage, it may have spread to adjoining organs but would not have spread to distant organs.

Since cancer is regionalized, the five-year survival rate is 71%, indicating that 71% of those diagnosed at this stage would survive for five years. This is still a good prognosis for treatment and a complete cure is possible if detected fast.

At stage 3, the following are the treatment options used:

• Surgery is still the first preferred choice of treatment. The polyp or tumor needs to be removed completely along with parts of the colon. It is not only part of the colon but also the lymph nodes that may need to be removed. The lymph nodes affected by cancer need to be removed. By stage 3C of colon cancer, up to four lymph nodes would be affected. All of them would need to be removed.
• Chemotherapy is required along with surgery. Along with chemotherapy, radiation therapy is also needed. If the patient is aged or has other complications then surgery may not be possible. In such a case, chemotherapy and radiation therapy would be the only courses of treatment.

Stage 4
Stage 4 is the most advanced form of cancer. At this stage, the cancer becomes metastatic. This means cancer would have spread to distant organs like the lungs or liver.

Since the cancer has now spread to distant organs, the treatment becomes extremely difficult. The five-year survival rate at this stage is just 14%, which shows how difficult it is to treat colon cancer at this stage.

Treatment of Stage 4 colon cancer includes:

• Surgery or multiple surgeries to remove cancerous cells in the colon, lymph nodes, and in the lungs and liver. A part of the liver and lung may need to be removed.
• Chemotherapy is needed for treatment along with surgery.
• Targeted therapy may be used, where instead of cancer cells, the genes are targeted to prevent cancer cells from growing.
• Immunotherapy is another option to consider.

The information on stages and treatment for colon cancer for stages 3 and 4 would have helped you understand more about the various treatment options available.