Stage I
What is stage I colorectal cancer?
Stage I colorectal cancer has grown through the mucosa and has spread into the muscular layer of the colon or rectum.
This means that cancerous cells have been found in:
- the innermost layer (mucosa)
- the second layer (submucosa)
- possibly the third layer (muscularis propria)
In stage I, the cancer has not spread to any lymph nodes or nearby tissue.
Treatment for stage I colon cancer
Surgery is often the only treatment that is needed. The most common surgeries for stage I colon cancer are:
- Polypectomy: polyps that are cancerous are removed from the wall of the colon, usually during a colonoscopy.
- Local excision removes polyps from the colon lining along with a small amount of healthy tissue. This is also done during a colonoscopy.
For cancerous polyps that are determined to be high grade, or if they were not removed completely, you may need to have further surgery to remove more of the tissue.
If the cancer was not in a polyp, the standard treatment is a partial colectomy. This surgery removes the part of the colon that has cancer, as well as lymph nodes near the area.
Other surgical treatments for rectal cancer
Transanal resection or transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) removes early-stage rectal cancer through the anus
Some surgeries require an incision in the abdomen to remove the part of the rectum where the cancer was found:
Colorectal cancer stages
Stage IITop resources
Christy Williams: Biomarker testing leads to successful treatment
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Colorectal cancer resources for learning and sharing
Whether personally impacted by colorectal cancer (CRC), supporting a loved one, or dedicated to educating and empowering others, these downloadable and printable resources can help.
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Don Shippey was 55 years old in 2016 when he decided he’d been putting off his colonoscopy long enough.