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Gastrointestinal Cancer

Rectal Cancer

Compassionate Care for Patients with Rectal Cancer by Team of Cancer Experts

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with rectal cancer, it is important to know that this is a highly treatable form of cancer. Rectal, or rectum, cancer is cancer of the last several inches of the colon, in the digestive tract before the anus. While gastrointestinal cancer is very serious, we are here to take the fear out of the treatment process and help patients toward recovery. UH Seidman Cancer Center offers patient-centered care and leading-edge treatments for rectal cancer. Working together, our specialized surgeons, oncologists and cancer care support team provide a comprehensive program of diagnostics, treatment, clinical trials and support.

Highest Standards of Excellence

Because of our high standard of excellence in both research and clinical care, UH Seidman Cancer Center is part of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, recognized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers in the country. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists evaluates and reviews every cancer case, so diagnosis, treatment and management decisions are based on the knowledge of our acclaimed team.

Our team customizes rectal cancer treatment to meet each patient’s individual needs, providing them with the most superior treatment with the fewest side effects. Our treatments use:

Extraordinary Patient-Centered Cancer Care

We offer patients a multidisciplinary team approach to care. This means all our cancer doctors, nurses and support staff coordinate your care. UH Seidman Cancer Center puts the patient at the center of a compassionate, highly trained team. In addition to physicians, surgeons and radiologists, our team of cancer experts includes:

  • Colorectal surgeons
  • Dietitians
  • Gastroenterologists
  • Geneticists
  • Medical oncologists
  • Oncology nurses
  • Radiation oncologists
  • Social workers

Disease-Specific Tumor Board Review

Our disease-specific tumor board review is a treatment planning approach in which experts from different specialties review the patient cases and treatment options. This review process ensures that all realistic treatment options are considered. Also, we have the resources of an entire team of national cancer experts that collaborates to guide all treatment decisions for rectal cancer care.

Rectal Cancer Clinical Trials

UH Seidman Cancer Center is a nationally recognized cancer program with expertise in both routine and complex care for every stage of rectal cancer. Our physicians have established many innovations in special treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.

Clinical trials are an important part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or improved from the standard treatment. Patients interested in hearing about innovations in cancer care for rectal cancer should talk to their doctor to see if they are eligible for a clinical trial. For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Trials being offered through UH Seidman Cancer Center include:

  • Studying chemo alone or with radiation therapy before surgery for people with rectal cancer. Learn more.