Stage III Rectal Cancer Treatment

Stage III is the second most severe stage of rectal cancer and requires immediate treatment to prevent a fatal episode. For Stage III cancer sufferers who seek immediate treatment, the five-year rate of survival is around 64% and is dependent on a number of different factors.

Understanding different stages of rectal cancer

All cancers are caused when normal cell growth accelerates out of control, with the resulting clusters of cells known as tumors. In Stage I cancer, the tumor is localized within the rectum or colon, breaching the first, second and possibly third levels of cellular lining. Stage I cancers are corrected with surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue. Stage II cancers have breached the lining of the colon and rectum but have not spread beyond to the lymph nodes. Stage II treatment utilizes surgery and chemotherapy to remove the tumor and prevent remission. Stage III cancers have breached the lining of the rectum and colon and have spread to lymph nodes throughout the body. Stage IV cancer is when tumors have breached the rectal wall and have spread beyond the lymph nodes, to organs such as the lungs and liver.

Stage III cancer treatment

Stage III cancers are sub-classified into an additional three stages based on the number of lymph nodes the cancers have invaded. Regardless of the number of lymph nodes affected, treatment methods for Stage III cancers of all sub-stages are the same; surgery is utilized to removed the cancer and all affected lymph nodes, while chemotherapy is used to kill any remaining cells and prevent cancer recurrence. In the presence of a large tumor, or one invasive to local tissues, radiation therapy is a practical method to kill these cancer cells.

Understanding different cancer stages is beneficial to knowing how treatment for Stage III rectal cancer is approached by doctors.

Stage III is the most severe stage of rectal cancer and requires immediate treatment