Colon Cancer Treatment in Germany

Tumors detected in colon during screening can be both benign and malignant. They arise from the tissue of the colon and are located in its various departments. The cells of the mucous layer of the intestine regenerate actively. However, sometimes they can multiply unevenly, which leads to the development of benign and malignant tumors.

According to the prevalence, colon cancer (ICD C18) takes the third place in the world after lung cancer and stomach cancer.

Content

1. How treatment in Germany is carried out?
2. Treatment of colon cancer stage 4 in Germany
3. Adjuvant therapy
4. Chemotherapy
5. Radiotherapy
6. Palliative care
7. Rehabilitation
8. Leading German hospitals for colon cancer treatment
9. Cost of treatment
10. How to get colon cancer treatment in Germany?

How treatment in Germany is carried out?

Colon cancer treatment in Germany is carried out at any stage of the disease development. The chances of recovery are higher at the stage one-three. At the advanced stages, the number of patients that have been cured does not exceed 5%. The key to success is timely diagnosis making and colon cancer treatment in accordance with the morphological peculiarities of the tumor and the general state of patients.

As with many oncological diseases, surgical treatment is one of the first-line methods. Surgical intervention conducted at the stage 1-3 allows saving the intestinal functions. Surgical colon cancer treatment in Germany includes removal of the neoplasm, tissues around it, as well as regional lymph nodes. Then the intestinal integrity is restored by stitching.

In most cases, a minimally invasive laparoscopic method is used, which is more sparing for the patient. It is worth noting that such intervention requires the highest qualifications of the surgeon. The advantages of this method of colon cancer treatment are precisely excised tumor, a low percentage of relapses, and rapid recovery. A patient usually needs up to seven days of hospitalization, including the preoperative examinations and rehabilitation period.

In some cases, the operation includes several stages. First, the tumor is removed, then a stoma is formed. Surgical treatment can be combined with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Treatment of colon cancer stage 4 in Germany

Patients diagnosed with colon cancer stage 4 may require different cancer treatment options.

In colon cancer stage 4, cancer cells spread throughout the body. Usually, colon cancer stage 4 means that cancer has already spread to the liver, but it can also spread further to the lungs and lymph nodes.

The treatment regimen is elaborated with regard to affected by the malignant process organs, kidneys and liver function, life expectancy, etc. Risks and benefits of each therapeutic intervention are assessed as well.

For instance, if the visualizing studies show that only several small nearby areas are affected, the surgical treatment of colon cancer stage 4 can still be possible.

Medical care in cases of advanced oncology focuses on chemotherapy. Usually, men and women with colon cancer stage 4 receive chemotherapy or another form of systemic drug therapy to manage the progression of cancer or its manifestations.

Doctors may also prescribe radiation therapy in the advanced stages of colon cancer to treat symptoms (stool disturbances, anemia, etc.). Such treatment of colon cancer stage 4 may even reduce the tumor size for a while but usually does not cure cancer completely.

Ablation or embolization can be suitable for patients with metastatic or recurrent colon cancer. These methods are used if several tumors in the lungs or liver with a size under 4 centimeters are present.

If a malignant process has spread to numerous distant organs and tissues of other localizations, surgical intervention is no more a treatment of choice. And some other treatment options can bring more harm than actual benefit. In such situations, people can refuse medical care that is aimed at curing cancer, and choose palliative care instead to try to make life more comfortable.

Palliative care, as a rule, includes methods that cope with pain and alleviate the cancer signs so that the person can feel better living as long as possible. Read our blog for more information on stage 4 colon cancer treatment.

Adjuvant therapy

In colon cancer, even after a successful surgery, there is a risk of the development of secondary tumors in distant organs. This is especially true for patients with malignant cells found in the lymphatic system. In this case, cancer cells can spread through blood or lymph to other organs, involving them in a malignant process. To prevent this, the patients receive additional adjuvant therapy, even if all visible tumor tissue was removed during the operation.

To achieve the maximum effect, it is necessary to undergo therapy for about six months. This will allow killing all cancer cells remaining in the body after surgery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses so-called cytostatic solutions that suppress malignant growth. Cytostatics are usually introduced intravenously and spread through the blood vessels reaching malignant cells that already exist in distant body regions.

Adjuvant chemotherapy should be started no later than in 60 days after the operation, as the delay can lead to a worsening of general survival.

Chemotherapy influences all rapidly dividing cells, i.e. not only malignant cells but also healthy ones, such as cells of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. Because of this side effects appear. Such side effects can be alleviated by the corresponding measures.

Radiotherapy

In radiotherapy, cancer cells are destroyed by high-energy radiation. Unlike chemotherapy that works throughout the body, irradiation can be a local procedure. Rays are directed to the tumor, so that healthy tissues are practically not exposed to it. In colon cancer treatment, it is often used in combination with chemotherapy, since tumors tend to develop in the same place (local recurrence).

Radiation therapy can be used before the operation to reduce the tumor size, to make surgery more efficient and less traumatic. The colon tumors are prone to the formation of metastases in distant organs, so additional radiation exposure of the colon is not required. In most cases, the radiation therapy is carried out on an outpatient basis, so a long stay in the hospital is not required as well.

The overall dose of irradiation necessary for effective destruction of the tumor is divided into several weeks. This allows minimizing side effects. Rays do not cause pain during treatment, but they may cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, cystitis, or skin irritation.

Palliative care

The later the colon cancer is found, the higher the risk of recurrence after initially successful treatment is. If the disease has gone so far that the cure is no longer possible, the focus will be on the alleviation of symptoms and improving the quality of life.

There is no single concept of palliative care that would fit every patient. Palliative treatment is selected individually, based on the symptoms in a particular patient. The treatment regimen is constantly adjusted by the attending physician according to the patient's clinical indicators.

Rehabilitation

During the first two years after colon cancer treatment, follow-up examinations are carried out. Attending physicians establish periodicity of such examinations.

About 80% of all recurrences of colon cancer occur during the first two years after the completion of treatment course, and 5 years later the risk of recurrence is practically reduced to zero.

A comprehensive physical examination and an ultrasound scan of the abdominal organs, X-ray, and CT scan of the chest, as well as tests for tumor markers are carried out regularly during the first two years. Colonoscopy is usually performed in six months and every three years after surgery.

The disease itself and side effects of treatment can cause stress and even depression in patients. Such conditions, in turn, affect the quality of life, and the rate of recovery, therefore it is better not to ignore such conditions. It is recommended to apply for psychological support to specialists, who specialize in supporting oncological patients.

Leading German hospitals for colon cancer treatment

German hospitals have up-to-date equipment for diagnostics and treatment of colon cancer, which makes the level of medicine in this country one of the highest in the world.

The recognized best German hospitals for colon cancer treatment are:

1. University Hospital Ulm
2. University Hospital Frankfurt am Main
3. University Hospital Heidelberg
4. University Hospital Würzburg
5. University Hospital Bonn

To find information about the services mentioned German hospitals provide, you may visit the profile of each medical facility on the Booking Health website.

Cost of treatment

The cost of treatment in Germany is the first question that the person searches for the answer to.

German hospitals have implemented a new system of financing and calculating the cost of treatment (and by 2009, almost all German hospitals have transferred to a new system). This helped to resolve the difficulties with accurate price determination for a particular patient.

Many people think that the prices for colon cancer treatment in Germany are very high. However, according to the reviews of many patients who traveled to get colon cancer treatment in Germany, the prices for diagnosis making, rehabilitation, and cancer treatment in German hospitals are moderate and well-calculated. Thus, the attractiveness of cancer treatment in Germany has increased. German medicine standards have become even more attractive and price-wise. Treatment costs in specialized German cancer centers are as follows:

• The cost of da Vinci surgery for colon cancer ranges between 20,400 EUR and 40,700 EUR.
• The cost of chemotherapy for colon cancer ranges between 6,950 EUR and 12,100 EUR.
• The cost of cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for colon cancer ranges between 51,900 EUR and 92,400 EUR.

You are welcome to check out the prices of the treatment with a specific procedure on the Booking Health website.

How to get colon cancer treatment in Germany?

Each patient without German residence can get help from German specialists, but many people just simply don’t know how to do this.

The easiest and most convenient way is to contact a medical tourism agency. Booking Health is one of the world’s most reputable medical tourism companies that helps thousands of patients to get treatment in Germany each year.

Booking Health resolves any issue related to the organization of treatment in Germany. Booking Health helps with the application for a visa, buying tickets, booking accommodation, transfer. The company will take care about all medical and non-medical issues on the territory of Germany. Booking Health offers patients the treatment only in the best German hospitals, where you can get the most efficient medical care.

But most importantly, when undergoing treatment in Germany, you will be provided with individual support and assistance throughout the whole journey.

Fill in the request form on the Booking Health website, and you will receive a call from a medical advisor.

Authors: 

The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!

Sources:

National Center for Biotechnology

American Cancer Society

Sience Direct