Skip to main contentShah's Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre · Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar
Last updated: 12-Oct-2026
Transverse colon cancer · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar
The transverse colon is the part of the large bowel that crosses the upper abdomen. A growth here is first confirmed, then staged, and only then treated.
Most patients with a cancer here are offered an operation. Some start with medicines instead, and a few do better with care that avoids a large operation.
This page walks through the tests in their usual order. It then sets out every treatment step, from medicines and stents to surgery and chemotherapy.
The transverse colon hangs below the liver and stomach. It sits close to the pancreas and small bowel, and it draws blood from both sides of the abdomen.
Shah’s Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre. Trained in super-specialty surgical gastroenterology programmes, qualified twice over in the specialty, with 18 years of experience in bowel and cancer surgery. Colonoscopy review, staging, the tumour board, colon surgery, stent decisions and long-term follow-up all sit within one practice, with medical oncology at the same table.
Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Colon Cancer Surgeon · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
Google rating at the Gota clinic: 4.89 from 216 reviews. At Apollo, Bhat: 4.94 from 18 reviews.
Most of the colon has one main feeding vessel for each part. The transverse colon is different. Its first part shares vessels with the right colon. Its far end shares vessels with the left colon. The lymph nodes follow the same vessels. So the exact spot of the tumour shapes the plan from the very first test. This is why a careful colonoscopy report matters so much here. It should say where the growth is, and it should mark the spot with ink.
| Where the growth is | Where to read more |
|---|---|
| Caecum or the rising (ascending) colon. | The right colon cancer page. |
| The bend near the liver, or across the upper abdomen. | This page. |
| The bend near the spleen, or the falling (descending) colon. | This page for the bend, and the left colon cancer page for below it. |
| The S-shaped (sigmoid) colon, above the rectum. | The sigmoid colon cancer page. |
Bowel habits that change for weeks, blood in the stool, or weakness from low blood count are the usual starting points. A blocked bowel can be the first sign.
In India, many bowel cancers first come to light as a blocked or burst bowel. The tests below are then shortened and done around the emergency. For everyone else, they follow a set order.
The colonoscopy and biopsy come first. The CT scan and blood tests stage the disease. A tumour board then reads every result together before any treatment starts.
If the bowel is too narrow for the scope to pass, the rest of the colon still has to be checked. A CT colonography can do this before surgery. Otherwise a colonoscopy is done within a few months after the operation. Gene tests on the tumour, called RAS and BRAF, are needed only if the cancer has spread.
Bleeding, anaemia and a change in bowel habit have many causes. A growth seen on a scan is not a diagnosis. Only the colonoscopy and biopsy decide.
A CT scan may show a thick segment of bowel. That can be a cancer, but it is not proof of one. The colonoscopy shows what the lining looks like. The biopsy names what the cells are. A polyp, for example, is a growth on the lining that is not yet cancer. It can often be removed at colonoscopy, with no operation. If the biopsy shows cancer, the steps below follow. If the biopsy is unclear and the growth still looks worrying, the tumour board decides on the next test.
| Finding | What happens next |
|---|---|
| A polyp that can be removed whole at colonoscopy. | Removed and sent for testing. The report decides if more is needed. |
| Biopsy confirms cancer. | Staging with CT, blood tests and the MMR test. |
| Thick bowel on CT, colonoscopy not yet done. | Colonoscopy and biopsy before any treatment plan. |
| Blocked bowel at first visit. | The emergency comes first. The full colon check is completed later. |
Treatment follows the stage. Early cancer needs surgery alone. Cancer in the lymph nodes adds chemotherapy. Cancer that has spread usually starts with medicines first.
| Situation | Usual treatment |
|---|---|
| Early cancer, nodes clear (stage I). | Surgery alone. Then regular checks. |
| Deeper cancer, nodes clear, no high-risk features (stage II). | Surgery, then careful watching. Chemotherapy adds little. |
| Stage II with high-risk features. | Surgery, then a shared talk about chemotherapy. |
| Cancer in the lymph nodes (stage III). | Surgery, then chemotherapy. A shorter course suits lower-risk disease. A longer course suits higher-risk disease. |
| Spread to the liver or lungs that can be removed. | Tumour board plan for removal of the spots, with medicines before or after. |
| Spread that cannot be removed. | Medicines chosen by tumour tests, with care for symptoms. |
| Blocked bowel in a patient who is not fit. | A stent placed through the scope, to open the bowel without an emergency operation. |
Surgery is not always first. Widespread spread, very poor fitness, or a blocked bowel in a frail patient can each make another treatment the right starting point.
Not needing chemotherapy is also a decision. A stage II cancer that is MMR-deficient does well without it. A single fluoropyrimidine drug is not given in that case, because it brings no benefit and may harm.
Two operations are used for a cancer here. An extended right hemicolectomy is the usual one. For the far end, an extended left hemicolectomy is also accepted.
The colon cancer protocol gives these two operations for this segment. A tumour near the liver bend, or in the first part of the transverse colon, is removed by an extended right hemicolectomy. A tumour in the far part, or at the spleen bend, can be removed by either an extended right or an extended left hemicolectomy. The tumour board picks one for each patient.
Both follow the same cancer rules:
Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery is the standard approach for colon cancer. Robotic surgery is an accepted choice in experienced hands. Open surgery suits a bulky tumour, a tumour stuck to another organ, or an abdomen scarred by earlier operations. The colorectal surgery page describes the wider service.
A blocked or burst bowel changes the order of everything. The emergency is treated first, and the full staging is completed once the patient is safe.
The protocol has separate rules for blocked right-sided and left-sided cancers. It has no separate row for the transverse colon. So the surgeon decides which side’s rules fit, based on where the tumour sits. A blocked right-sided cancer is usually removed with an immediate join. A blocked left-sided cancer in a fit patient is removed, sometimes with a protecting stoma. In an unstable patient, a Hartmann’s operation leaves a stoma for now. A burst bowel needs removal, a thorough wash-out and usually a stoma. A large bowel that is badly swollen or tender is a warning sign. The consultant surgeon sees that patient the same day.
Preparation starts at the first visit. Anaemia, sugar and nutrition are corrected, and the bowel is cleaned with medicine and antibiotics the day before.
The removed bowel is examined in the laboratory. Four items in that report decide whether chemotherapy is advised and how long it lasts.
| Item in the report | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Number of lymph nodes, and how many hold cancer. | Nodes with cancer usually mean chemotherapy. Too few nodes examined is itself a risk sign. |
| Margins. | Whether the cut edges are clear of cancer. |
| MMR or MSI status. | It can rule out chemotherapy in stage II. It points to immunotherapy if the cancer spreads. |
| High-risk features. | Growth through the wall, a burst or blocked bowel, and spread into vessels or nerves. |
The report is read with you at about two weeks after surgery. If chemotherapy is advised, it usually starts within six to eight weeks of the operation.
Every risk is named at the consent meeting. The figures that fit your age, fitness and situation are given there, in person, not on this page.
| Group | Risks named at consent |
|---|---|
| General. | Bleeding that needs a transfusion. Wound infection. Clots in the legs or lungs. Heart or breathing problems. A change from keyhole to open surgery. |
| Of the operation. | A leak from the join. A bowel that is slow to wake up. A leak of milky lymph fluid after a right-sided operation. Injury to the ureter. A collection of pus. Narrowing of the join. A stoma. |
| Later. | A hernia at the scar. Blockage from adhesions. The cancer can return even after complete removal. |
The risk of dying is stated plainly at the same meeting.
★★★★★
“(Translated by Google) Dr. Harsh Shah's personality is very nice. He always talks in a good way. He has undergone surgery for colon cancer. Without any problem. Yours faithfully.🙏 (Original) ડૉ હર્ષ શાહ નો સ્વાભાવ ખૂબ જ સરસ છે.તેઓ હમેશા સારી રીત વાત કરે છે .મોટા આંતરડા ના કેન્સર ની સર્જરી એમને કરેલ લી છે. કોઈ પ્રકાર ની તકલીફ નાથી .આપનો અભર.🙏”
— Ismailbhai Shaikh, Google review
★★★★★
“Met with Dr. Harsh Shah for the consultation of one of my relative. Dr. Harsh Shah is an exceptional surgical oncologist in Ahmedabad. His expertise in treating complex GI cancers like liver, pancreas, and colon cancers is truly remarkable. He explains everything clearly and gives patients full confidence in their treatment. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a skilled and compassionate cancer specialist.”
— Nagesh Patidar, Google review
★★★★★
“My father has carcinoma of stomach ,Harsh sir did radical gastrectomy and he is recovering very nicely under Dr.Harsh's observation ,he listen each and every complain calmly and with patience and make patient very comfortable during treatment , during procedure and during stay at hospital. we are satisfied with the treatment and very confident about the fully recovery of disease as we are under treatment of Dr.Harsh & team.Thank you Dr.Harsh & his whole team and staff.”
— tina parmar, Google review
Reviews are shown exactly as written on Google. The first describes colon cancer surgery. The other two speak about his cancer care more widely. None names the transverse colon.
A patient’s own account after a colon cancer operation by Dr Harsh Shah, shared with consent.
Follow-up continues for years. It uses visits with the CEA blood test, yearly CT scans, and colonoscopy at set times, because a new growth can still appear.
| When | What is done |
|---|---|
| About two weeks after surgery. | Wound check, the pathology talk, and a chemotherapy referral if needed. |
| Every three months for the first three years. | Symptoms, weight, examination and CEA. |
| Every six months in the fourth and fifth years. | The same checks. |
| Once a year. | CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, for three to five years. |
| One year after surgery. | Colonoscopy. If clear, again at three years, then every five years. |
A rising CEA with a normal CT is not ignored. The test is repeated within weeks, and a PET-CT may be added.
Cost depends on the treatment chosen, the operation, the approach and the days in hospital. A written estimate is given before admission or before chemotherapy starts.
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, works with the major insurers and cashless schemes. The office handles pre-authorisation. Bring your scans on a disc or drive, the colonoscopy and biopsy reports, your medicines with doses, your insurance card and identity proof.
No. A polyp removed whole at colonoscopy may need nothing more. Widespread cancer starts with medicines. A blocked bowel in a frail patient may be opened with a stent. Most other patients are offered an operation.
A full colonoscopy with biopsy comes first. It confirms the cancer and checks the rest of the colon. The CT scan, CEA and MMR test follow, and then the tumour board meets.
Not routinely. A CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis is the staging scan. A PET-CT is kept for a suspected return of cancer or before removing spots in the liver.
It depends on the pathology report. Cancer in the lymph nodes, or high-risk features, usually means chemotherapy. Early cancer with clear nodes usually needs only follow-up.
It is a test on the tumour tissue. It screens for an inherited cause of bowel cancer. It also decides whether some chemotherapy helps, and whether immunotherapy suits cancer that has spread.
In some patients, yes. A stent can open a blocked bowel in someone too unwell for surgery, or whose cancer has spread. In a fit patient it may only bridge to a planned operation.
Shah’s Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre — Gota, Ahmedabad
Consultations, review of colonoscopy and scan reports, follow-up after treatment.
Google: Dr Harsh Shah · 4.89 from 216 reviews
Directions to the Gota clinic · +91-63555-64601
Apollo Hospital — Bhat, Gandhinagar
Apollo Hospital International Limited, Plot No. 1 A, GIDC Bhat Industrial Estate, Bhat, Gandhinagar.
Google: Dr Harsh Shah – Robotic GI Surgeon · 4.94 from 18 reviews
Directions to Apollo, Bhat · WhatsApp +91-63555-64601
Patients come to Ahmedabad from across Gujarat. They come from Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Nadiad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Kutch. Many also come from southern Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh.
Told there is a growth in the middle part of the large bowel? The colonoscopy report with photos, the biopsy report, any CT scan on a disc and recent blood reports can be sent ahead of the appointment. That way the consultation starts with them already read. Treatment is decided at the consultation, after examination and the tumour board. Severe swelling of the belly with vomiting, or heavy bleeding, needs the nearest emergency department now. Call +91-63555-64601 · Send the reports ahead on WhatsApp
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