TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Treatment of childhood colorectal cancer
Source: Childhood Colorectal Cancer (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 14, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Types of treatment for childhood cancer
Treatment of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer in children may include:
surgery to remove the tumor if it has not spread
radiation therapy and chemotherapy for tumors in the rectum or lower colon
combination chemotherapy, for advanced colorectal cancer
Source links and citations
Children with certain inherited cancer syndromes may be treated with:
surgery to remove the colon before cancer forms
medicine to decrease the number of polyps in the colon
Source links and citations
Treatment of colorectal cancer that cannot be removed by surgery, has spread to other parts of the body, or has continued to grow and spread after treatment may include immunotherapy with nivolumab or pembrolizumab. Immunotherapy is only given if your child has certain inherited cancer syndromes or if the cancer has specific gene changes.
If the cancer comes back after treatment, your child's doctor will talk with you about what to expect and possible next steps. There might be treatment options that may shrink the cancer or control its growth. If there are no treatments, your child can receive care to control symptoms from cancer so they can be as comfortable as possible.
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice