The colon is the endpoint of the digestive system and it helps with the elimination of waste material from the body. The presence of tumor cells in the colon is called colon cancer. There are different stages of this type of cancer. The chances of recovery and the symptoms all depend on the stage the cancer is at when detected. Once colon cancer is diagnosed through various tests, doctors go on to identify the stage it is in to determine effective treatment plans. To help understand the disease better, it is very important to know the main stages of colon cancer.

• Stage 0
  This is a stage that is called situ. In this stage, there are abnormal cells present in the innermost layer of the colon wall. These abnormal cells may or may not turn into tumors and spread to the nearby tissues. If cancer is detected at stage 0, it can be removed by colonoscopy or the affected part of the colon may be cut and removed.
• Stage 1
  In the main stages of colon cancer, stage 1 is the stage where the cancer is present in the mucosa or the innermost layer and has also started spreading into the next layer called the sub-mucosa. This sub-mucosa layer is the muscle layer of the wall of the colon. The treatment options for stage 1 cancer include surgery to remove the cancerous area.
• Stage 2
  One of the most important in the main stages of colon cancer is stage 2. Stage 2 is further divided into 2A, 2B, and 2C. In 2A, cancer has already spread to the outmost layer of the colon which is the serosa layer. In stage 2B, doctors identify that cancer has spread beyond the serosa layer into the tissues that line the abdomen. Stage 2C is where cancer has started to spread to the nearby organs. A combination of chemotherapy and surgery may be required to treat stage 2.
• Stage 3
  Stage 3 is also split into three categories. Stage 3A is where cancer has started spreading to 1-3 lymph nodes. In stage 3B, 4-6 lymph nodes are affected and in stage 3C the cancer has spread to 7 or more nodes. The treatment options for stage 3 is to surgically remove the colon area with tumors. Individuals diagnosed with cancer at this stage would also need to undergo adjuvant chemotherapy.
• Stage 4
  Stage 4 is also divided into 3 categories based on how the cancer has spread. Stage 4A is where cancer has spread to one organ, not near the colon. Stage 4B is when cancer has spread to more than one tissue or organ and in stage 4C, cancer has moved to the tissues of the abdomen wall and to all other areas around. Chemotherapy is the preferred treatment option here.

This information on the main stages of colon cancer and the treatment options available should help one understand the disease better and its progression in the body.