You are an oncologist specializing in colon cancer A patient

You are an oncologist specializing in colon cancer. A patient presents to you with disease that has spread to his bones and liver and there is no treatment available. What stage cancer is this?

Solution

Answer is Stage IV (4)

Stages of colon cancer are:

Stage 0

It is very early cancer and it will be affecting the innermost layer of the intestine

Stage I

In stage I, cancer is seen in the inner layers of the colon

Stage II

In stage II, cancer is seen spreading through the muscle wall of the colon

Stage III

In stage III, cancer is seen spreading to the lymph nodes

Stage IV

In stage IV, cancer is seen spreading to other organs outside the colon

In case, of colon cancer, at stage IV, it will be spreading to the distant location in the body (liver, lungs, bones, distant lymph nodes or other sites). At this stage there is no cure for this cancer or patient will be left with very few options.