# Colectomy

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/colectomy/  
OnCo record `colectomy` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Removing the part of the colon containing the cancer along with its blood supply and lymph nodes, then joining the ends.

## Summary

Right or left hemicolectomy removes the affected half of the colon; the bowel is usually reconnected without a permanent stoma. Laparoscopic colectomy is oncologically equivalent to open surgery (COST, CLASICC). At least 12 nodes should be examined for accurate staging; adjuvant FOLFOX or CAPOX follows for stage III and high-risk stage II, increasingly guided by ctDNA (DYNAMIC, CIRCULATE). Rectal cancer uses different operations (total mesorectal excision, abdominoperineal resection).

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: hemicolectomy; right hemicolectomy; left hemicolectomy; segmental colectomy; colectomies

## Notes

- Colon cancer: NICE NG151 recommends laparoscopic resection as an alternative to open resection when both techniques are suitable, and says to consider preoperative systemic anticancer therapy for people with cT4 colon cancer. Bowel Cancer UK says prehabilitation before the operation can reduce anxiety, improve fitness and shorten the stay in hospital, and that it may be offered as part of an enhanced recovery programme.

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colectomy
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colectomy
- Macmillan: surgery for colon cancer: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/treatments-and-drugs/surgery-to-remove-colon-cancer
- NICE NG151: colorectal cancer, recommendations: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng151/chapter/Recommendations
- Macmillan: preparing for bowel cancer treatment: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/bowel-cancer/preparing-for-bowel-cancer-surgery
- Bowel Cancer UK: prehabilitation, preparing for treatment: https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/treatment/prehabilitation/

## Connected records

- terms: [Abdominoperineal resection](https://onco.cc/terms/abdominoperineal-resection/), [FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, FOLFIRINOX and CAPOX](https://onco.cc/terms/folfox-family/), [Hereditary cancer syndromes](https://onco.cc/terms/hereditary-cancer-syndromes/), [Living with a stoma after bowel cancer surgery](https://onco.cc/terms/living-with-a-stoma-bowel-cancer/), [Obstruction and T4 disease in bowel cancer](https://onco.cc/terms/obstructing-colorectal-cancer/), [Total mesorectal excision (TME)](https://onco.cc/terms/total-mesorectal-excision/)
- cancers: [Adenoma-like adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal-adenoma-like-adenocarcinoma/), [Appendiceal adenocarcinoma (mucinous and non-mucinous, including signet ring cell)](https://onco.cc/cancers/appendiceal-adenocarcinoma/), [Appendiceal cancer and pseudomyxoma peritonei](https://onco.cc/cancers/appendiceal/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Familial adenomatous polyposis-associated colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/fap-associated-colorectal-cancer/), [Goblet cell adenocarcinoma of the appendix](https://onco.cc/cancers/goblet-cell-adenocarcinoma/), [Localised small bowel adenocarcinoma (stage I to III, resected)](https://onco.cc/cancers/localised-small-bowel-adenocarcinoma/), [Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and pseudomyxoma peritonei](https://onco.cc/cancers/low-grade-appendiceal-mucinous-neoplasm/), [Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/lynch-associated-colorectal-cancer/), [Micropapillary adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal-micropapillary-carcinoma/)
- fronts: [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)
- trials: [CIRCULATE-Japan (GALAXY / VEGA / ALTAIR)](https://onco.cc/trials/circulate-japan/), [DYNAMIC](https://onco.cc/trials/dynamic/)
- technologies: [Robotic & minimally invasive surgery](https://onco.cc/technologies/robotic-surgery/), [Surgical robots: da Vinci, Hugo, Versius and single-port systems](https://onco.cc/technologies/surgical-robot-platforms/)

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