Advanced Colon Cancer

Generally, colon cancer is considered advanced if it has spread beyond the colon or there is a recurrence of the cancer after treatment.

Stage 3 Colon Cancer

If the cancer has reached the submucosa of the lining (the middle layers of the colon) and involves 1-3 lymph nodes it is classified as Stage 3A.

If the cancer has penetrated the outermost layers of the colon wall and has reached nearby tissue, nearby organs (such as the bladder) or into the peritoneum it is classified as Stage 3B. The five-year survival rate for this stage is generally 64 percent.

If the cancer is present in at least 4 lymph nodes it is classified as Stage 3C. With treatment, the five-year survival rate is generally approximately 44 percent.

Metastatic or Stage 4 Colon Cancer

Generally, metastatic colon cancer is the phase that is reached when the cancer spreads to distant sites, such as the liver or the lungs. Even with treatment the five-year survival rate for metastatic colon cancer is generally considered to be approximately 8-15 percent.

Recurrent Colon Cancer

This is cancer that has come back after it was treated to the point of being undetectable. The cancer can come back in the colon, the lymph nodes, or in a distant part of the body. Very often, it comes back in the liver. Sometimes it also comes back in the lungs. Regardless of where it come back, it is still colon cancer and is treated with techniques and therapies specific for colon cancer.

Since colon cancer elevates the CEA count in some people, anyone whose CEA was elevated prior to surgery for colon cancer normally has hir or her CEA monitored for at least several years after treatment. A consistent or rapid rise in CEA may indicate that the cancer has returned. In such cases, diagnostic testing such as a colonoscopy a and CAT scan are performed in order to understand where the cancer is located so that appopriate treatment can commence. Treatment for recurrent colon cancer is not always as effective as treatment for the original cancer.