Stages, types and grades
Stage 2 bowel (colon and rectal) cancer has spread into the outer wall of the bowel or into tissue or organs next to the bowel. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or distant parts of the body.
Stage 2 is divided into 3 stages - 2A, 2B and 2C.
Stage 2A means that the cancer has grown into the outer lining of the bowel.
Stage 2B means that the cancer has grown through the outer lining of the bowel into the tissue layer (peritoneum) covering the organs in the tummy (abdomen).
Stage 2C means that the cancer has grown through the wall of the colon or rectum, into organs and tissues next to it.
The TNM staging system stands for Tumour, Node, Metastasis.
In the TNM staging system, stage 2A bowel cancer is the same as:
T3, N0, M0.
Stage 2B is the same as:
T4a, N0, M0.
Stage 2C bowel cancer is the same as:
T4b, N0, M0.
You have surgery to remove your cancer.
Your surgeon might suggest before or after surgery.
Chemotherapy before surgery can shrink the cancer to make it easier for to remove. Chemotherapy after surgery can lower the chance of your cancer coming back after surgery.
Read more about treatment for colon cancer
The main treatments are:
surgery
chemotherapy
chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy)
You might have:
surgery as your only treatment
a short course of radiotherapy, followed by surgery
a course of chemoradiotherapy, followed by surgery
a course of chemotherapy, followed by surgery
total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) – this might be chemoradiotherapy and a course of chemotherapy all before surgery
Further treatment
Rarely, your doctor might offer you chemotherapy after surgery, especially if you haven’t had this before surgery.
Read more about treatment for rectal cancer
Last reviewed: 08 Jan 2025
Next review due: 08 Jan 2028
The stage of a cancer tells you how far it has grown through the bowel wall and whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs. It helps your doctor to know which treatment you need.
Treatment depends on whether you have colon or rectal cancer, as well as your cancer stage. You might have surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy or a combination of these.
Living with bowel (colorectal) cancer may mean you have changes to your diet, sex life or body image. There is support to help you cope.
Bowel cancer means cancer that starts in the colon (large bowel) or back passage (rectum). It is also known as colorectal cancer.
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