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Patients are always asking if they are candidates for
chemotherapy for colorectal cancers. So, let's talk about that.
One of the questions that I am facing often when I meet with the patients with
newly diagnosed colon cancer is, are they candidates for chemotherapy and
what is the benefit of chemotherapy in their particular case. We need to address
this question on individual basis. What determines whether or not a patient is
a candidate for chemotherapy is the stage or the advancement of their cancer
at the time of diagnosis because there are some patients that would not need
chemotherapy, they could be cured by surgery alone. So that is the first thing
to look into. The other important thing is to look at the overall health and health
status of the patient, the age, the other medical issues that they may face
because that will also affect their ability to tolerate chemotherapy, so I think
balance between the benefit from chemotherapy and risks from chemotherapy
determines whether or not chemotherapy is the right choice for an individual
patients with colon cancer.
For an interactive tool to learn more about your colon cancer and your
personalized treatment options, go to MyColonCancerCoach.org.