Colorectal (bowel) cancer treatment options in China

Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum, the last parts of the bowel. Most begin as small growths called polyps. Doctors stage it by how deeply it has grown, whether lymph nodes are involved, and whether it has spread.

When it spreads, it most often reaches the liver, and sometimes the lungs. Tumour tests such as mismatch repair (MMR or MSI), RAS, BRAF and HER2 help decide which drugs may work.

For colon cancer, surgery to remove the affected part of the bowel is the main treatment, often followed by chemotherapy. For rectal cancer, radiation and chemotherapy are often given before surgery. Some people need a stoma, which may be temporary or permanent.

For cancer that has spread, chemotherapy with targeted drugs is the usual backbone, and immunotherapy works well for tumours with mismatch repair changes. When the spread is limited to the liver or lungs, surgery may still offer long-term control for some people. Ablation and liver-directed chemotherapy are also used in Canada for selected liver metastases. Our liver cancer guide explains these treatments in more detail.

You may wish to ask if your cancer has spread mainly to the liver and cannot be removed, if it has grown after standard chemotherapy, or if you have been told few liver-directed options are available locally. Some people also want a second view on whether liver metastases could be operated on, since surgical teams sometimes differ.

These procedures are usually added to drug treatment, not used instead of it. Results vary, and risks include bleeding, infection, pain and liver injury. Chinese hospitals decide whether they can accept you after reviewing your records. We cannot promise access or results.