Chemotherapy options

Chemotherapy may not be necessary for patients with stage 1 or stage 2 colorectal cancer. However, chemotherapy is a common treatment option for patients with stage 3 and stage 4 colorectal cancer. Chemotherapy drugs are designed to destroy cancer cells or impede their ability to grow and reproduce.

Chemotherapy for colorectal cancer may be given intravenously or in pill form.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: This method describes the use of chemotherapy prior to surgery to help reduce the size of a tumor. The treatment is more common for rectal cancer. 

Adjuvant chemotherapy: This refers to chemotherapy given after surgery to help destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery and may help lower the risk of recurrence. 

Chemoembolization

When colorectal cancer metastasizes, it means the disease has spread to other sites in your body through the bloodstream. The liver is a common site for colorectal cancer to metastasize since the body’s blood supply is filtered by the liver.

With this treatment, chemotherapy is administered directly to the cancerous portion of the liver, followed by tiny beads called microspheres that trap the drug in that area and cut off the supply of blood to the tumor. This method of chemotherapy delivery deprives the tumor of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

If colorectal cancer spreads to the abdomen, your oncologist may suggest HIPEC. During HIPEC, your surgical oncologist removes the cancerous tissue, then circulates a chemotherapy solution through your abdomen for approximately 90 minutes. This procedure allows a more concentrated dose of chemotherapy drugs to be delivered directly to cancerous tissues and is designed to reduce the risk of exposure to other tissues in your body.

Intra-arterial chemotherapy

If colorectal cancer spreads to your liver, your oncologist may suggest intra-arterial chemotherapy. This delivery method is designed to reduce the risk of exposure to healthy tissues and may reduce side effects such as nausea.