Colon Carcinoma Prognosis: Determining Survival Chances

Colon carcinoma is an adenocarcinomas tumor. This develops from the glands lining the colons inner wall. Colon carcinoma prognosis is related to the degree of penetration of the tumor through the bowel wall, the absence or presence of distant metastases and the absence of nodal involvement. These three characteristics build the basis to form the staging system of the disease.

Bowel perforation and bowel obstruction indicate poor prognosis. The levels of carcinoembryonic antigen which are elevated pretreatment serum have negative prognostic significance. Surgical treatment is essential for the prognosis of colon carcinoma.

National Cancer Institute and the American Joint Committee on Cancer recommend that at least twelve lymph nodes should be examined with colon in the patients and a rectal cancer for confirming the nodal absence in involvement with the tumor. The recommendation is because examined lymph nodes reflect the aggressive dissection of lymphovascular mesenteric at the time of pathologic identification of nodes in the specimen. This is at the time of surgical resection. Many retrospective studies have added that the number of lymph nodes examined in rectal surgery and in colon can be associated with patient's outcome.

The prognosis of colon carcinoma can be measured with the levels of a protein in tumor cells. Sometimes doctors are able to predict as to which patient of colon carcinoma would survive for how many days.

Studies done by the researchers show the levels of protein called thymidylate synthase in two separate compartments of tumor cell. These compartments are the cytoplasm and the nucleus, that may result in the markers to predict the survival of the patient.

Researchers found in the ratio between cytoplasm and TS levels in the nucleus that a low ratio predicted more survival. Results showed that 65 percent people with a lower ratio survive for 5 years or more.

The chances of survival for those suffering from colon carcinoma are mounting in recent years. The carcinoma that has not affected the lymph nodes would have a better chance to survive. In stage II, survival chances are less if the intestine is perforated or obstructed. If the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, in stage III, the outlook would be better.

Many researchers believe that colon carcinoma prognosis is a notoriously inexact process. This is because of predictions which are based on experience of large number of patients on different stages. With such information, the future of a patient is always imperfect and sometimes flawed. Therefore, colon carcinoma prognosis should always be interpreted with the limitations in the mind.