Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
One or other of these treatments may be advised depending on the site and stage of the cancer.
- Chemotherapy is a treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying.
- Radiotherapy is a treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation which are focussed on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is most commonly used for colorectal cancer when the tumour is in the rectum.
When chemotherapy or radiotherapy are used in addition to surgery it is known as 'adjuvent chemotherapy' or 'adjuvent radiotherapy'. For example, following surgery you may be given a course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This aims to kill any cancer cells which may have spread away from the primary tumour site. Sometimes, adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy is given before surgery to shrink a large tumour so that the operation to remove the tumour is easier for a surgeon to do, and is more likely to be successful.
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- Bowel cancer (colorectal cancer)
- What does colorectal mean?
- What is cancer?
- What is colorectal cancer?
- What causes colorectal cancer?
- What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?
- How is colorectal cancer diagnosed and assessed?
- Biopsy and assessing the extent of the cancer
- What is the treatment for a bowel polyp?
- Treatment options for colorectal cancer
- Surgery
- What is the prognosis (outlook)?
- Screening for colorectal cancer


