Question
I am 69 years old, male. I have had poor gastrointestinal health for many years and sometimes feel pain on the right side. The symptoms include irregular bowel movements. I am worried that it might be late-stage colon cancer. Can the symptoms of late-stage colon cancer be treated?
Answer
Currently, the chances of treating late-stage colon cancer are slim. The main treatment methods include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and biological immunotherapy. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment method, which can shrink tumors but as treatment time increases, side effects also intensify. Therefore, chemotherapy regimens should be adjusted according to the tumor shrinkage, symptom relief, and related toxicity. In the treatment of late-stage colon cancer, biological immunotherapy can be combined with chemotherapy to improve treatment efficacy and reduce side effects, helping to control the disease.