Colon and Rectal Treatment

Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly detected cancers in both men and women. Though no cause other than genetics has yet been identified, it does appear associated with a diet high in saturated fats. Like many cancers, it is also associated with age, and is detected most frequently after the age of 50.

Early detection offers the greatest promise for cure and is therefore the primary goal of the Gastro-intestinal specialists. Screening colonoscopies may even prevent disease if pre-cancerous polyps are discovered and removed.

Diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer continues to evolve, as do the services offered by the Martha Jefferson Cancer Center.

They include the following:

• Screening and diagnostic colonoscopies
• Virtual colonoscopies
• Endoscopic ultrasound - which permits more accurate staging of colorectal and other gastrointestinal malignancies
• Systemic chemotherapy - ?used to increase rates of cure for early stage disease, as well as to lengthen and improve quality of survival for advanced disease
• Biological therapy with drugs such as Erbitux, Vectibix and Avastin which permit targeted tumor cell kill
• Laparoscopic surgery performed on eligible patients by two board-certified surgeons working as a team
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for precise delivery of radiation to the tumor
• Access to clinical trials for colon and rectal cancer
• Access to Martha Jefferson Cancer Center support services