Rectal Cancer

Synchronous Tumors

Mayo offers two innovative treatments for patients who have tumors that have spread from the colon or rectum to other organs (synchronous tumors).

In radiofrequency ablation, electrical energy delivered through a needle destroys cancer cells with heat. This has been found to be effective in some cases when colon or rectal cancer has spread to the liver. Read more about radiofrequency ablation.

Mayo Clinic is one of the few institutions that uses surgeons from different specialties to remove tumors from different organs in the same operation. In the case of colon or rectal cancer that has spread to the liver, for example, a colorectal surgeon and a gastroenterologic surgeon work together to remove the cancer. The patient undergoes just one operation, which may lead to better long-term survival.