Colon Cancer Articles A-Z
In cases of rectal cancer, chemotherapy is one of the common treatment options. This eMedTV article explains how chemotherapy is used to treat colon cancer and includes information about the possible side effects of the treatment.
When making a rectal cancer diagnosis, the doctor will ask questions and conduct a physical exam. As this eMedTV article explains, tests used to make a rectal cancer diagnosis include fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) and digital rectal exams.
A rectal cancer prognosis is a prediction as to the outcome of the disease. This eMedTV Web page discusses factors that affect a prognosis for a person with rectal cancer (such as the stage of the cancer) and includes 5-year survival rates.
As this eMedTV article explains, radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy rays (or other radiation) to treat rectal cancer. Radiation therapy may cause side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and urinary discomfort.
Rectal cancer research is being conducted to find more effective ways of treating the disease. As this eMedTV article explains, other rectal cancer research is focused on possible new screening tests, such as virtual colonoscopy and a DNA stool test.
Rectal cancer screening, as this eMedTV article explains, is the process of testing for the disease when no symptoms are present. People 50 years of age and older (and those at high risk for the disease) should be screened for rectal cancer.