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Colorectal Carcinoma Treatment

Also called: colon cancer, colon carcinoma, adenocarcinoma of the colon

Colorectal carcinoma starts in the digestive system. This includes the colon (the large intestine) and the rectum (the last several inches of the large intestine). It can spread from there to other parts of the body.

Colorectal carcinoma in children is rare. In the United States, fewer than 100 children under age 20 are diagnosed each year. This is about 1 in 1 million.

The survival rates for childhood colorectal carcinoma are not known. Most data suggest that younger children often have more advanced cancer when they are diagnosed.

Find out more about colorectal carcinoma on the Together by St. Jude™ online resource. 

Treatment of colorectal carcinoma 

Colorectal carcinoma treatment is mostly based on the stage of the cancer when it is diagnosed. 

For the best chance of a complete cure, the tumor must be completely removed. If the tumor is too large to remove, chemotherapy and/or radiation may be used to try to shrink it. 

Colorectal carcinoma clinical trials

Open clinical trials

There are no open clinical trials at this time.

Browse open clinical trials

Colorectal carcinoma care at St. Jude

  • St. Jude offers a dedicated team of specialists to meet the needs of children with cancer, including: 
    • Surgeons, doctors, and nurses who treat this cancer
    • Doctors who specialize in radiation and pathology (making a correct diagnosis by looking at tumor tissue under the microscope)
    • Experts in diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine
    • Genetic counselors
    • Clinical dieticians
    • Child life specialists
    • Psychologists
    • Researchers and scientists
  • Complete, quality surgery is an important part of treating colorectal carcinoma. The expert skills and experience of our specialty surgeons can help improve your child’s chances for the best outcome.
  • St. Jude has access to new medicines that can be used if the cancer comes back. This medicine may also be used if the cancer becomes resistant to the initial treatment.

More reasons to choose St. Jude for care include:

  • We are consistently ranked among the best childhood cancer centers in the nation by US News & World Report. 
  • At St. Jude, we have created an environment where children can be children and families can be together.  
  • We lead more clinical trials for childhood cancer than any other hospital in the U.S.  
  • St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center just for children. A Comprehensive Cancer Center meets rigorous standards for research that develops new and better approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. 
  • The nurse-to-patient ratio at St. Jude is about 1:3 in hematology and oncology and 1:1 in the Intensive Care Unit. 
  • Patients may be able to get expert, compassionate care and treatment closer to their homes through the St. Jude Affiliate Program. 
A statue of children running and holding hands

Seeking treatment at St. Jude

Patients accepted to St. Jude must have a disease we treat and must be referred by a physician or other qualified medical professional. We accept most patients based on their ability to enroll in an open clinical trial.

How to seek treatment

Contact the Physician / Patient Referral Office

Call: 1-888-226-4343 (toll-free) or 901-595-4055 (local)  | Fax: 901-595-4011 | Email: referralinfo@stjude.org | 24-hour pager: 1-800-349-4334


The solid tumor coordinator is dedicated to helping you seek treatment or refer a patient.

Solid Tumor Coordinator

 

Learn more