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Mayo Clinic is a world leader in the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. Mayo physicians have extensive experience treating all forms, including rare genetic cancers such as FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis), HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer) and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.
Mayo Clinic offers several treatments that may not be widely available. These include minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) and several colostomy-sparing procedures. A team of experts from several medical specialties works together to determine the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
Mayo Clinic has one of the largest colon and rectal surgical practices in the world, performing more than 2,500 surgical procedures per year. Mayo is also active in screening, performing nearly 34,000 colonoscopies in 2003. Mayo Clinic in Rochester ranked No. 1 among U.S. hospitals in the specialty of digestive disorders in the 2006 U.S. News Best Hospitals ranking.
Mayo doctors use traditional methods, such as colonoscopy, as well as the latest technologies, including endoscopic ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET) scans and magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose the true extent of the cancer. Mayo Clinic also is a leader in the emerging use of virtual colonoscopy for diagnosis. Read more about colon cancer diagnosis.
See an animation (478 K) of a laparoscopic surgery.
Surgery is the primary treatment for most patients. Mayo offers several innovative procedures that avoid a colostomy. Biological therapy uses the body's immune system to combat cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often combined with surgery in patients whose initial cancer has an increased risk of relapse if treated with surgery alone, such as when the tumor extends beyond the colon wall or lymph nodes are involved. These combined treatments may also be indicated for patients whose cancers relapse at the primary site or in nearby lymph nodes after initial treatment. Read more about colon cancer treatment options.
The colon, also known as the large intestine, or large bowel, is the lower part of the digestive system. Cancers in the colon begin as small noncancerous clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Over time, some polyps may become cancerous. Polyps may be small and produce few, if any, symptoms, so it's important to get regular screening tests to help prevent cancer. When detected early, cancer often can be cured.
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