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Radiation Therapy
"What is the role of radiation therapy in the management
of colon and rectal cancer?"
There is generally no role for radiation therapy in the management
of colon cancer. Patients who have rectal cancer, however, are frequently
considered for radiation therapy. Many physicians prefer to do this
pre-operatively, and many prefer to do it only post-operatively
in select cases. This is based on the depth of invasion through
the bowel wall and the risks of regional lymph node involvement.
When radiation therapy is recommended, it is almost always given
in conjunction with chemotherapy. The chemotherapy is relatively
low dose, very well tolerated, and is given because it has been
shown to make the cancer cells more sensitive to the radiation therapy.
For rectal cancer, the chemotherapy may be continued for six to
twelve months after the tumor is removed.
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