What to do if colon cancer recurs

Surgical resection of colon cancer is still the main method of colon cancer treatment, and its productivity within 5 years is still relatively high. However, from the perspective of clinical practice, surgical treatment of colon cancer still fails, mainly due to recurrence and metastasis after surgery. So, what should we do if colon cancer recurs after surgery?

There are many reasons for the recurrence of colon cancer. The most important factor is incomplete treatment of primary colon cancer, such as incomplete surgical resection, incomplete radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Although the tumor has disappeared on the surface, some cancer cells still remain.
The recurrence of colon cancer after surgery is caused by residual cancer cells in the body. It may be that the hidden metastasis was not discovered before the operation or that the lesion was not completely removed during the operation. Therefore, before laparotomy, intra-intestinal chemotherapy or preoperative enema for colon cancer can prevent the spread of cancer cells and kill and eliminate cancer cells.
Continuing chemotherapy after surgery may increase the 5-year survival rate after colon cancer surgery. For patients who cannot be treated surgically or who need to prevent metastasis after surgery, chemotherapy is the only option, but the effect is generally not ideal. Is there a better treatment method? Combining traditional Chinese medicine treatment during chemotherapy for patients with postoperative colon cancer and postoperative metastasis can achieve a synergistic anti-cancer effect, reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy, enable patients to smoothly pass the chemotherapy period, improve the efficacy and long-term survival rate, and reduce tumor recurrence.
Most patients with recurrent colon cancer also have metastasis of lesions, and the chance of complete resection by surgery is low. If the patient's physical condition permits, local surgery can be performed first, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy to eliminate residual lesions, and combined with traditional Chinese medicine treatment to improve immunity, reduce the toxic side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and enhance the treatment effect.
In short, colon cancer recurrence after surgery should be treated promptly, and the patient should observe his or her condition after treatment. If the recurrence is found early, timely reoperation and resection will be of great value in prolonging the patient's survival. Therefore, patients after colon cancer surgery should be reviewed regularly. Colon cancer recurrence usually occurs within 2 years after surgery, and a review should be conducted every 3 months during this period.