Weight loss
Weight loss in a patient of colon cancer is mostly associated with the tumor morphology, location, size, depth and differentiation. According to the research, weight loss is more common in colon cancer patients with non-polypoid than in those with polypoid tumors. Research has also revealed that weight loss is more predominant in patients with right colon tumors than in those with left colon tumors. Larger tumors are more likely to present with weight loss than smaller tumors. Locally advanced and poorly differentiated tumors can cause severe weight loss but it is hardly seen in patients with well to moderately differentiated tumors. If you observe unexplained weight loss in your body, contact your doctor immediately to be evaluated for an underlying cause. Treating the cause is only solution to reverse this body weight loss. Weight loss is normally seen in stage 2 and stage 3 of the tumor which is already an ominous sign. Surgery with radiotherapy and chemotherapy are few options which can be used to manage the patient.
Surgical resection of the tumor is the commonest option to treat colon cancer. Part of the healthy colon or rectum and nearby lymph nodes will also be removed. Laparoscopic surgery and colostomy are two major options available nowadays. Radiation therapy can also be done in which high energy x-rays are used to destroy malignant cells. It is commonly used for treating rectal cancer because this tumor has high recurrence rate. Systemic therapies involve chemotherapy and immunotherapy which can only be prescribed by a doctor who has expertise in treating colon cancer with medication. They can also cause weight loss in the patient.