Roswell Park is a center of excellence for colon and rectal cancer care. This means we adhere to specific, measurable quality standards to ensure you receive skilled, comprehensive and personalized cancer care with the latest treatment advances and minimally invasive technologies.
We integrate essential services like nutrition therapy and rehabilitation medicine, high-risk screening, genetic testing, and surround you with comforting support from diagnosis through treatment to survivorship. Even better, it’s all here under one roof at Roswell Park. Some highlights of our program include:
Our nationally recognized physician team
Our accomplished physicians are leaders in the field and hold leadership roles in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Roswell Park physicians not only follow the evidence-based NCCN treatment guidelines used by physicians around the world; they write them.
- Roswell Park’s Steven Nurkin, MD, MS serves on both of the NCCN panels that establish the best practices for colon and rectal cancer.
With our unique expertise, we offer specialized programs for:
Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Colorectal Liver Metastases Recurrent Rectal Cancer
Our surgical expertise
At Roswell Park, colorectal cancer surgery is performed by surgeons with high volume experience and the majority of operations are performed with minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic approaches robot-assisted surgery.
- We do the most robotic procedures. Nearly 70% of colorectal operations at Roswell Park are performed with robot-assistance — far more than any hospital in the region — resulting in less pain, shorter hospital stay and speedier recovery.
- Nonsurgical tumor removal may be an option for many patients. Our experts provide advanced endoscopic procedures that may allow you to avoid a major operation.
- We offer cytoreductive surgery/HIPEC, a complex treatment combining debulking surgery with heated regional chemotherapy. This one-time therapy offers improved survival for patients with advanced disease.
A high percentage of our surgical patients are able to avoid a permanent colostomy.
Our cutting-edge therapies
We offer treatments at the forefront of cancer care, plus clinicians with the knowledge and experience to use them. Our patients with colorectal cancer may opt for a treatment plan that includes:
- Enrolling in clinical trials to access the very latest drugs, immunotherapies and targeted agents — oftentimes years before they become available from other providers. Roswell Park opens new clinical trials every day.
- Treatment with Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, a safer, minimally-invasive radiotherapy approach for metastatic disease to the brain that improves survival and quality of life. Roswell Park is the only provider in the region offering Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
Our comprehensive approach to stage 4 metastatic disease to the liver, incorporating our high-volume hepatic surgeons and interventional radiologists to offer innovative treatment for liver metastases that can extend survival and potentially cure the cancer.
What treatment is right for you?
Our quality, comprehensive care
We provide multidisciplinary cancer care that integrates the expertise from several specialists, including surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, oncology-focused gastroenterologists, dietitians, physical therapists and more. Our comprehensive care includes:
- Specialized High-Risk Colorectal Cancer program that offers cancer screenings, genetic counseling and testing, surveillance, and preventive options such as chemoprevention or surgery.
- Our state-of-the-art Endoscopy Center with onsite pathology to provide immediate, mid-procedure pathology review and diagnosis, and advanced, minimally invasive endoscopic treatments.
Sexual Health Clinic to address cancer and treatment side effects that impact ability to interact intimately.