At Icon Specialist Centre Hong Kong we offer the latest in treatment methods and technologies for a range of colorectal conditions.

Our experienced team of colorectal surgeons are dedicated to delivering exceptional care and supporting you through your diagnosis, treatment, and beyond.

If you have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of new information people are sharing with you.

Knowing more about your cancer and what to expect before and after treatment can help you prepare. The following information outlines what your cancer is and how it is diagnosed and treated.

We encourage you to speak to your doctor and care team, who are here to support you throughout your time at Icon.

We will always have time to talk to you and answer your questions.

Colorectal cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in the large bowel or rectum, forming a cancerous tumour.

Colorectal cancer can be described in stages depending on how early or advanced the cancer is. These include:

• Stage 0 – The cancer is in its earliest stage and has not spread beyond the inner layer (mucosa) of the colon or rectum
• Stage I – The cancer has been found in the mucosa, and has spread beyond the inner layer of the colon or rectum wall to the submucosa, but has not spread to the lymph nodes
• Stage II – The cancer has spread beyond the layer of muscle surrounding the bowel and reached the outermost layers of the colon or rectum and surrounding areas, but has not spread to the lymph nodes
• Stage III – The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, but not to distant organs
• Stage IV – The cancer has spread to distant organs (e.g. lung, liver, peritoneum) throughout the body

Cancer screening plays an important role in identifying colorectal cancer in people who do have any signs or symptoms. The Hong Kong Colorectal Cancer Screening Program is open to eligible people between 50 and 75 years of age – who will have the opportunity to perform a stool occult blood test to check for any blood particles within the stool (a potential sign of colorectal cancer).

For people who have symptoms of colorectal cancer or the diagnosis is uncertain, a full examination of the colon is required. The two tests used for this are:

• Colonoscopy – A colonoscopy involves inserting a camera on a flexible tube into the rectum to examine the entire large bowel. Most commonly patients with severe iron deficiency anaemia and minimal bowel symptoms are diagnosed through colonoscopy. It can be used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, with the ability to obtain tumour biopsies, stop tumour bleeding and place stenting to relieve obstruction.
• CT colongraphy – CT colonography (or virtual colonoscopy) uses a CT scanner to produce 3D images of the large bowel and rectum, and provides a less invasive option for people who are unable to have a colonoscopy. However, a colonscopy may still be required if a biopsy needs to be taken.

Further tests

If bowel cancer is diagnosed, further tests are usually carried out to see if the cancer has spread beyond the colon or rectum.

These tests can include:

• MRI scan
• CT scan
• PET scan

Treatment for colorectal cancer depends on the type and size of the cancer, and your age, general health and treatment preferences. The most common treatment for colorectal cancer is surgery, which may be provided alongside chemotherapy, radiation therapy or targeted therapies.

Surgery

The surgical procedure used to treat colorectal cancer is a colorectal resection (colectomy), which involves the removal of all or part of the colon. The two techniques for a colectomy include:

• Open colectomy – where the surgeon makes a large incision through the skin and abdominal wall to remove a section of the colon
• Laparoscopic (keyhole) colectomy – a less invasive procedure where the surgeon makes a number of small incisions in your abdomen and uses special instruments guided by a camera to remove a section of colon

While both techniques are effective at removing cancer, laparoscopic surgery is now the routine technique used for colorectal resection, providing advantages including reduced blood loss, postoperative pain and wound infection, a faster recovery from surgery and shorter hospital stay.

It’s natural to want to know more about your cancer when first diagnosed. We’ve included some common questions that patients ask about colorectal cancer to help you. Your treatment team at Icon can also answer any additional questions that you have at any point in time.