Oncology care in South Africa
Hospitals and medical centers in South Africa which treat Colon Cancer patients.
Key planning information for colon cancer treatment in South Africa.
Colon Cancer Treatment in South Africa is priced per case at 4 hospitals. The operation takes 2 to 3 hours, with 3 to 4 days in hospital. Each hospital quotes its own price for your case.
Colon Cancer Treatment is listed by 4 hospitals in South Africa. The order reshuffles every hour so each gets equal exposure.
Hospital GroupLife Healthcare is a leading private hospital operator in South Africa and primarily serves the market for privately insured individuals, representing approximately eight million people. The group provides mainly acute care, high technology private hospital services.
Colon Cancer is treated at
Hospital GroupNetcare Group provides innovative, quality healthcare in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Colon Cancer is treated at
Private HospitalNelson Mandela Academic Hospital is a large Provincial government funded hospital situated in central Mthatha in South Africa. It is a tertiary teaching hospital and forms part of the Mthatha Hospital Complex.
Colon Cancer is treated at
Private HospitalThe extensive hospital network includes 64 hospitals (of which 57 are majority owned by Life Healthcare and another seven in which the group holds substantial minority ownership), providing a range of healthcare services throughout South Africa.
Colon Cancer is treated at
Treatment options for colon cancer depend on the stage at which the cancer is discovered. They include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery is the best approach for early stages of colon cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy is required, particularly in later stages to prevent the recurrence of cancer. A combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation is required in the advanced stages of colon cancer.
1) Surgery: Surgery may either be done as total colectomy or subtotal colectomy. It is the only treatment required in the early stages of colon cancer (stage I and most cases of stage II) in which cancerous part of the intestine is removed and remaining ends are joined. Sometimes patient may require a surgically created opening between the intestine and abdominal wall called as colostomy. A small bag called as colostomy bag is applied in which contents of the intestine are emptied. Colostomy can be permanent or temporary.
2) Chemotherapy:In addition to surgery, chemotherapy is required in stage II or above to reduce the risk of recurrence of cancer. It may be palliative, adjuvant or neoadjuvant. Palliative is used when cancer has spread to other body parts and surgical removal is not possible. Palliative chemotherapy helps to shrink the tumor, alleviates the symptoms and prolong life. Adjuvant chemotherapy is used once the surgery is done to remove any left out cancer cells. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is given prior to the surgery. It reduces the size of the tumor and helps in efficient removal during surgery. 5-fluorouracil is the most commonly used drug in colon cancer. It is used in association with a vitamin called as leucovorin. Various new chemotherapy drugs such as avastin, vectibix and Erbitux are used along with 5-FU for the treatment of colon cancer which has already spread.
Bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab, and regorafenib are newer chemotherapy agents that target specific aspects of the cancer cell which may be more important to the tumor than the surrounding tissues. They also have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.
3) Radiotherapy: Radiation therapy is typically given under the guidance of a radiation specialist called a radiation oncologist. Its primary use is in the treatment of rectal cancer. Multiple cycles may be required. It may sometimes be used to alleviate the pain associated with recurrent or metastatic colon cancer.
What is the success rate of colon cancer treatment?With surgery, more than 90% stage I and 65-80% of stage II colorectal cancers are curable.
Key facts to plan your treatment: how long it takes, your hospital stay, anaesthesia, risks and recovery.
Common questions
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