Treatments
Treatment Options For Your Unique Cancer
Your cancer is as unique as you are. That’s why to fight colorectal cancers, Holy Cross Health's Colorectal Cancer experts collaborate to create a personalized treatment plan for each individual. Treatment options for Colorectal Cancers include:
Surgery
Holy Cross Health’s expert Colorectal Surgery Team delivers region-leading capabilities in minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgical approaches to fight Colorectal Cancers. Advanced surgical techniques enable our colorectal surgeons to remove multiple tumors while preserving the colon or rectum. Surgical procedures offered at Holy Cross Health to treat Colorectal Cancers include colectomy, low anterior resection, proctectomy and other minimally invasive and robotic procedures.
- Minimally invasive surgery – minimally invasive surgical options, including transanal approaches, use smaller incisions and typically result in faster recovery from surgery.
- Robotic-assisted surgery – our colorectal surgeons are robotic surgery experts, using advanced surgical technologies to preserve organ function and improve quality of life.
Radiation Therapy
The Holy Cross Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology and offers advanced equipment for specialized radiation therapy, including external beam therapy, which delivers a beam of high-energy X-rays to the location of the patient's tumor to destroy it. Other options include medication therapy.
Medication
- Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy, often called “chemo,” uses powerful anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells. It can be used as a stand-alone treatment, or it can be combined with other treatment types, such as radiation therapy or surgery. The drugs that treat Colorectal Cancers are usually taken in pill form or infused directly into the bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line.
- Immunotherapy - Immunotherapy is a revolutionary new wave of treatments that harness the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. The patient’s cancer-fighting immune cells are harvested, and in some cases are modified to work more effectively. Then, they are multiplied and reintroduced into the patient’s body.
- Targeted Therapy - Targeted therapy uses specific drugs that can block or “target” the growth of certain cancer cells. Whether targeted therapy is a good option depends on your individual diagnosis.