Like other cancers, colon cancer is also curable, provided it is diagnosed in early stages.

Generally, colon cancer undergoes four stages. But sometimes, the recurring stage is considered as the fifth one.In the initial stage, also known as Stage Zero, of colon or colorectal cancer, the lining of the colon or rectum is occupied by the tumor. Here, the tumor is small and known as a polyp. If detected in this stage, the chances of cure and survival are very high.

The next stage is termed as Stage One. In this stage, the complexity of the cancer increases. The polyp gets modified into a tumor. The wall of the colon is completely occupied by the polyp. However, at this stage if the cancerous tumor is removed properly, the disease can still be treated. The survival rate for five years is more than 95 percent.

The next stage, or Stage Two, involves the expansion of cancer from the colon to the neighboring tissues. At this stage, the lymph node is unaffected. The cancer shows a tendency to expand from one part to another. This process, in medical, is known as metastasis. At this stage also, cancer can be treated by resection surgery. The five year survival rate decreases to around 60 percent.

At the third stage, or Stage Three, cancer reaches the lymph nodes. Since the stage is quite complicated, and affects the lymph nodes in the surrounding area, the treatment required is more advance. Chemotherapy and surgically removing the malignant tumor are the best options. The survival rate for five years decreases to 35 percent to 59 percent.

The fourth stage exhibits the expansion of cancer to the liver and lungs. At this stage, radiation therapy is necessary with all the other methods of treatment. The five year survival rate of the patient declines exponentially to just eight percent.

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