Chemotherapy for colon cancer at Mayo Clinic

The oncology teams at Mayo Clinic are leading the way in treatment options such as chemotherapy. Here, your team works together. So chemotherapy is as effective as possible as part of your colon cancer treatment plan.

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More than 4,000 patients seek lifesaving colon cancer care at Mayo Clinic each year.

We are the No. 1 ranked hospital for gastroenterology and GI surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Mayo Clinic was one of the first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in 1973.

The right treatment plan, right from the start

At Mayo Clinic, your colon cancer care team works together with one focus — you. Being at the center of your care team helps you get a comprehensive evaluation and the right treatment plan as quickly as possible.

A team dedicated to colon cancer

Experts at Mayo Clinic work in specialized teams. Here, your oncologists are trained to treat colon cancer. And they work alongside surgeons, gastroenterologists, nurses and support staff as part of a specialized colon cancer treatment team.

A focus on quality and quantity of life

Our oncology teams are always working to improve both quality and quantity of life with advanced chemotherapy options. New techniques allow your Mayo Clinic team to provide more options and deliver stronger medicines with fewer widespread side effects.

A plan that meets your needs

Your oncology team takes the time to understand you — your cancer, your health history and your goals. When the members of your team get to know you, they better understand the treatment plan and chemotherapy options that will get you the best outcomes.

“I have never seen medical professionals conduct themselves like the professionals at Mayo Clinic. It was a humbling feeling to be treated with such respect and such care.”

Maurice O.

Mayo Clinic patient

Advanced delivery for advanced diagnoses

Some people with colon cancer need options beyond traditional chemotherapy delivery methods. When you have an advanced or complicated diagnosis, the team at Mayo Clinic has options.

Both hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) are chemotherapy options used during surgery. Using heated or pressurized chemotherapy immediately after your cancer has been removed can be a helpful option to control cancer that has spread to the abdomen. It also can reduce the risk of spread if the surgeon can’t remove enough healthy tissue from around the cancer. Mayo Clinic is leading the way with these techniques, and we have even modified these approaches for shorter recovery times.

If your colon cancer has spread to the liver, your Mayo Clinic team also may consider liver-directed chemotherapy. Using a pump that delivers chemotherapy into the main artery of the liver, you have access to higher doses of chemotherapy. This can help prevent cancer recurrence or shrink your cancer, making curative surgery possible.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for colorectal cancer

Amit Merchea, M.D., Colon and Rectal Surgery: There's a number of exciting things in the future for colorectal cancer care and research occurring at Mayo Clinic. These encompass new chemotherapeutics or immune therapies from surgical approaches. We're continuing to push the limits with robotic surgery and digital surgery using augmented reality and artificial intelligence. And this really helps enhance the care that we can deliver for patients with colorectal cancer.

David W. Larson, M.D., M.B.A., Colon and Rectal Surgery: Quality of life issues are a big issue for most patients. It is one of their number one questions. And we spend a lot of time educating the patient and trying to determine what their goals of quality of life are.

Shabana F. Pasha, M.D., Gastroenterology & Hepatology: So I think as Mayo Clinic physicians we are always available to answer questions, including making the decision whether or not a patient would benefit from a referral to Mayo Clinic. We usually request records for patients ahead of time. We preschedule tests and appointments, so if a patient needs a procedure, if they need to meet with the surgeon, again, if they need to meet with a genetic specialist, so all those tests are prescheduled wherein a patient can come in. If they are from out-of-state, they can fly in for a gastroenterology appointment, get all the necessary tests done and then return home.

Tanios Bekaii-Saab, M.D., F.A.C.P., Medical Oncology: I think that having a center that's focused on research, but research that's applied to patient care. And that's what Mayo does best, is a certainly a plus, a positive that ensures that patients have access to the most innovative and the latest and the greatest that can't be found anywhere on the planet.

Amit Merchea, M.D.: So I think patients to seek care at Mayo Clinic with colorectal cancer because we really offer the expertise in treating this. We are a high volume Cancer Center. Our outcomes with colorectal cancer set benchmarks across the country. And patients have high-quality, safe and effective care. I think for any patient who's seeking surgical treatment for colorectal cancer, it's important that they look at not just the surgeon as an individual but the team.

Tanios Bekaii-Saab, M.D.: And because of our integrated care, so a patient comes through the door for screening, if we find a polyp, or we find a cancer, that patient is meeting with the gastroenterologist and in no time with a surgeon, or the geneticists, with the medical oncologists if needed, and then anyone as part of the team. And that is quite unique. And that is why I think the care overall, the integrated level of care, at Mayo Clinic is certainly superior care.

If it’s on your mind, it’s part of our process

At Mayo Clinic, we help with the real-life logistical challenges that come with a colon cancer diagnosis. Here, you have a suite of resources, including nonmedical support.

Dedicated care coordination

We know it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis and begin treatment as soon as possible. So, we make the most of your time with shorter wait times and a consolidated appointment itinerary.

Complete travel support

We offer an array of custom patient travel services to ensure the stresses of distance or special requests don’t get in the way of you getting the colon cancer care you need.

Helpful insurance specialists

At Mayo Clinic, we are in-network with many major insurance providers, and we don’t require a referral for you to seek care here. Our helpful patient account teams are available to answer questions and help with precertifications.

Nationally recognized for our colon cancer expertise

Mayo Clinic is ranked No. 1 in more specialties than any other hospital in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been recognized as the best gastroenterology and GI surgery hospital in the nation every year since 1990, when the rankings were first established.

We are the only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with three unique locations. U.S. News and World Report ranks Mayo Clinic among the top three cancer hospitals in the nation and No. 1 in each state in which we have a campus: Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Our teams are standing by at our three locations to help you schedule a colon cancer appointment.