What it is?

Colorectal cancer starts as small growths called polyps inside the colon or rectum—the lower parts of the large intestine. Some types of polyps, particularly adenomas, may turn into cancer over time if not removed.

Most colorectal cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from gland-like cells lining the colon and rectum. There are subtypes such as mucinous (colloid) adenocarcinoma, signet-ring adenocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumors, which may behave differently. Understanding the type of cancer is important because it helps guide the most effective treatment.

Main symptoms:

In early stages, colorectal cancer often causes no noticeable symptoms. Later signs may include:

  • Blood in the stool or dark, tar-like stools
  • A change in bowel habits—diarrhea, constipation, or narrower stools
  • Feeling like your bowel doesn’t empty completely
  • Ongoing stomach discomfort, cramps, or bloating
  • Unexplained weight loss or feeling tired all the time.

Standard treatments:

Treatment varies depending on where the cancer is found and how far it has spread:

  • Surgery is the main curative option, ranging from removing early cancers during colonoscopy to partial colectomy or proctectomy for thicker tumors .
  • Chemotherapy is often used after surgery, particularly in advanced stages.
  • Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells; may be used for rectal cancer, either before or after surgery, and sometimes associated with chemotherapy to improve results.
  • Targeted drugs uses special drugs that attack specific parts of cancer cells, responsible for the cancer growth or survival; sparing most healthy cells. Mainly used in metastatic / advanced colorectal cancer.
  • Immunotherapy helps the immune system fight the cancer. Mainly used in metastatic / advanced colorectal cancer.

Radiotheranostics:

Radiotheranostics is a type of treatment that combines therapy and diagnostics. It uses special radioactive substances that are injected in the patient, finds and destroys the cancer cells.

Currently there are no approved radiotheranostics for colorectal cancer.

Many companies are conducting clinical trials as shown below.

Your doctor can help you understand which treatment is right for you.

To know more about:

Patient associations

Europe: Talk Blue Flanders (BEL), Digestive Cancers Europe (EU), Pancreatic Cancer Europe Network (EU), Selbsthilfegruppe Pankreaskarzinom (AUT), Fondation ARCAD, Aide et Recherche en CAncérologie Digestive (FRA), TEB (pancreatic cancer) (DEU), Der Arbeitskreis der Pankreatektomierten e. V. – AdP (DEU), Nastroviola (pancreatic cancer) (ITA), EuropaColon Latvia (LVA), EuropaColon Slovakia (SVK), Dutch Pancreatic Cancer group (NLD), Living With Hope (LWH) (pancreatic cancer) (NLD), Dutch Pancreas Association (AVKV) (NLD), MDLS (stomach, intestinal and liver disorders) (NLD)

Worldwide: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, The Lustgarten Foundation, Pancreatica.org, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), Hope for Stomach Cancer