Innovative Colorectal Cancer Treatment Options

Treatment Options

Hoag Family Cancer Institute offers a variety of innovative and progressive treatment options to colorectal cancer patients. Our goal is to tailor treatment plans to each individual, to accurately and effectively treat your disease. Hoag’s colorectal cancer experts specialize in surgical and radiation therapies for colorectal cancer.

If colon cancer is detected during a colonoscopy, additional tests will be performed to determine if the cancer has spread. CT or PETscans may be utilized to help stage the cancer, and help determine the treatment path.

Surgery is the main treatment option for colon cancer. During surgery, the section of the colon that contains the cancerous tumor along with the adjacent lymph nodes will be removed,. Hoag’s skilled surgeons utilize two minimally invasive techniques for colon cancer surgery. These include:

  • Laparoscopic surgery
  • Robotic-assisted surgery

Both are excellent, effective surgical techniques for safely removing cancer cells. The surgical technique will be selected depending on the patient, their stage of cancer and location.

Once the cancer is surgically removed from the colon, a pathology report will determine if other treatment options are needed, such as chemotherapy. This is called adjuvant therapy – a secondary therapy that follows the primary treatment to improve results.

If rectal cancer is detected during a screening colonoscopy, additional tests may be completed to determine if the cancer has spread outside the rectum. Utilizing CT, PET, or MRI imaging, your physician can determine the best treatment path for your rectal cancer.

Rectal cancer is traditionally treated using a mix of therapies – surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Due to the location of the rectum, treatment often begins with less invasive options such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy to shrink the size of the tumor and allow for preservation of the anal sphincter. This treatment before surgery is referred to as neoadjuvant therapy. A skilled Hoag surgeon will then surgically remove the remaining concerning areas of the rectal cancer.

Hoag’s skilled surgical team offers minimally invasive treatment options for rectal cancer, including:

  • Laparoscopic surgery
  • Robotic-assisted surgery