Formerly known as Duke’s B colon cancer, Stage 2 Colon Cancer is divided into 2 parts—2A and 2B, the former being less advanced than the latter. Stage 2 Colon Cancer is mainly defined as the invasion of cancer cells towards the outer layers of the intestinal wall—into the subserosa and to the visceral peritoneum without reaching the nearby lymph nodes yet.
Stage 2 Colon Cancer Phases
The first phase of Stage 2 colon cancer (2A) is where proliferation is rampant towards the subserosa or beyond. Based on the TNM (tumor, node and metastasis) staging system of cancer, Stage 2A is referred to as T3 N0 M0 which means that the tumor has now reached its 3rd level of growth but has not yet invaded any nodules and has not shown any initial signs of metastasis as well.
Stage 2B is slightly more advanced than 2A and is defined by the TNM system as T4 N0 M0 which means that the same as its preceding stage, it has not yet metastasized or affected any lymph nodes but the tumor is now a lot bigger than stage 2A. At this stage, the tumor has already infected the outer layer beyond the subserosa and has gone out to the peritoneum, a tissue that protects your abdomen.
Stage 2 Colon Cancer Treatment
Surgical resection is usually recommended for Stage 2 Colon Cancer. This surgery involves the surgical removal of the cancerous section or part of the colon and then stitching the remaining colon to restore a whole new piece of the intestinal tract. If needed, your doctor may also highly recommend that chemotherapy or radiation therapy is done post operatively to completely eradicate the microscopic cancer cells that were left behind. However, there are several debates here because not all doctors may want chemotherapy to be done at this stage. It is important that you discuss the pros and cons of your doctor’s treatment plans.
Sometimes, only adjuvant chemo maybe more preferred by your surgeon due to some cases that would render surgery useless including cancers with unpredictable or abnormal regrowth, cancer has obstructed the colon, perforation in the wall has occurred as a result of the cancer and many others.
Stage 2 Colon Cancer Survival Rate
If suggested surgeries were done correctly and the chemotherapy was able to decrease the invasion rate of the cancer proliferation, Stage 2 Colon Cancer may have an agreeable survival rate as well. If the patient religiously abides to the treatment regimen and all medical procedures were done without glitches, patients may have a survival rate of up to 85%. However, a lot of things may still influence this estimated rate. Sometimes, the location of the tumor may play a big role in the over-all survival of the patient. But so far, those who have been thoroughly careful with their health while under Stage 2 Colon Cancer treatment showed good prognosis, lasting more or less 5 years.