Stage 2 colon cancers have grown into the wall of the colon and nearby tissue but has not spread to the lymph nodes.
Read more on what is colon cancer here.
Surgery is the primary treatment for stage 2 colon cancer. A partial colectomy is conducted which is the removal of a part of colon that contains cancer. Sometimes even the nearby lymph nodes are removed. The doctor might also recommend adjuvant chemotherapy, which is chemotherapy that is given after surgery. The doctor recommends this to patients who are at higher risk of the cancer coming back. The risk of the cancer coming back has certain factors involved and they include:
- The cancer looked high grade or abnormal when viewed under a microscope
- Cancer has grown nearby lymph or blood vessels
- The surgeon has not removed at least 12 lymph nodes
- Cancer was found in or near the margin of the removed tissue
- The cancer had obstructed the colon
- The cancer caused a hole in the wall of the colon
Chemotherapy may be used in combination. It’s important to discuss the pros and cons of chemotherapy with the doctor including how much the risk of cancer recurring is lowered by receiving chemotherapy.
Prognosis of stage 2 colon cancer
For people with stage 2A colon cancer the relative survival rate is 87% and for people with stage 2B colon cancer the relative survival rate is 65%.
