Stage 0 and Stage I Colon Cancer
STAGE 0 (IN SITU) COLON CANCER
Before treatment begins, your tumor will typically be tested for mismatch repair status (dMMR/MSI-H) — this is now recommended for all colon cancers, regardless of stage.
Surgery or polypectomy is usually the only recommended treatment for stage 0 colon cancer.
- Polypectomy: snaring and removing polyps containing cancer during a colonoscopy.
- Local excision: removal of flat colon growths “piecemeal” during colonoscopy.
- Open abdominal surgery: remove cancer, part of colon, and nearby lymph nodes in high-risk situations.
STAGE I COLON CANCER
As with all colon cancers, your care team will test your tumor for mismatch repair status (dMMR/MSI-H) and PI3K pathway changes before finalizing your treatment plan — these results can also inform decisions about your care after surgery.
For stage I colon cancer, surgery is often the only recommended initial treatment. It will typically be either:
Colectomy (resection)
Removal of all or part of your colon through an incision or incisions (laparoscopic surgeries often require several small incisions while open surgery is usually done using a single, larger incision).
Laparoscopic colectomy
When a surgeon makes a few small incisions in your abdomen through which they pass a tiny camera and tools to access your colon.
