Colon cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic
Why choose Mayo Clinic for colorectal cancer treatment?
For decades, Mayo Clinic has been a world leader in providing comprehensive, cutting-edge care to people with colon and rectal cancer.
Mayo Clinic Care Team
Mayo Clinic physicians work in a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care to patients with colon cancer. Your care team may include:
Other health care professionals also play an important role in your care. These professionals include:
- cancer education specialist
- nurses specially trained to treat cancer patients
- nutritionist
- social worker
- occupational therapist
- physical therapist
Care team members will spend time getting to know you to understand what is important to you. The result is a treatment plan that puts you at the center of the care you receive.
Your Mayo Clinic doctor will work with you to explore treatment options and choose the treatment that best fits your needs and goals. Treatments offered to patients with colon and rectal cancer include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and a variety of surgeries, including minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Molecular profiling of tumors using next-generation sequencing approaches and screening all potential immunotherapy options is a standard part of colon cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Clinic also offers palliative care services to help manage the symptoms of cancer itself as well as the side effects of cancer treatment. Cancer Survivorship Clinics are available after cancer treatment is complete. A cancer survivorship clinic may help you cope with the physical and emotional changes that sometimes occur after cancer treatment.
Advanced diagnosis and treatment
Mayo Clinic physicians and scientists have been at the forefront of colon cancer research for years. We are using the knowledge and experience gained from our research to improve care for patients with colon cancer.
Similarly, Mayo Clinic’s colon and rectal surgeons draw on decades of accumulated experience treating colon cancer in high-volume practices. They specialize in removing (resecting) complex tumors that affect multiple organs and structures within the abdomen and pelvis.
Mayo Clinic physicians have access to the latest treatment techniques, including:
- Minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery (also called laparoscopic surgery) for colon cancer involves making several small incisions in the abdomen. Special instruments and cameras are inserted through the incision, allowing the surgeon to remove the cancer without making a single large incision. The Mayo Clinic colorectal surgeon was one of the earliest doctors to use laparoscopic surgery for colon and rectal cancer. Today, colon cancer surgery is performed using minimally invasive approaches whenever possible.
- Robotic surgery. During robotic surgery, the surgeon sits at a console and uses controls to operate high-tech surgical tools. Robotic surgery has the advantage of allowing surgeons to work more easily in tight spaces and have a better view of the area where the surgery is being performed. At Mayo Clinic, the use of robotics has led to excellent results in complex colorectal tumor surgeries involving multiple organs and structures within the pelvis.
- Proton therapy. Mayo Clinic offers this advanced radiation therapy. The proton therapy program features intensity-modulated proton therapy with pencil beam scanning, allowing radiation oncologists to destroy cancer while sparing healthy tissue.
- Optimized adjuvant therapy. Mayo Clinic researchers led the first clinical trial of chemotherapy, called adjuvant chemotherapy, to reduce the risk of recurrence after colon cancer surgery. Mayo Clinic oncologists continue to research the best drug combinations and treatment durations to make adjuvant therapy most effective and minimize side effects.
- An innovative treatment for liver metastases. Mayo Clinic offers the latest treatments for colon cancer that has spread to the liver. This includes a hepatic artery infusion pump. A pump is a device that is placed inside the body during surgery. It delivers chemotherapy drugs directly to the liver. Surgery to implant the pump can be done at the same time as surgery to remove cancer from the colon or liver. By administering drugs directly to the liver, doctors can administer higher doses of chemotherapy. Helps extend the lifespan of people with liver metastases.
Expertise and ranking
Mayo Clinic physicians have the knowledge and resources to provide comprehensive care to colon cancer patients. At Mayo Clinic, you can expect:
- Individualized care. At Mayo Clinic, our gastroenterologists, colon and rectal surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists work as a team to ensure your care plan addresses all your needs. Other experts will also participate as needed.
- An experience you can trust. Mayo Clinic physicians are recognized for their expertise in diagnosing and treating colon cancer. Mayo Clinic physicians treat more than 4,000 colon cancer patients each year.
- Nationally recognized expertise. Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center meets the rigorous standards of the National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center. These standards recognize scientific excellence and a multidisciplinary approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked No. 1 for gastroenterology in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals ranking. Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida are ranked among the Best Hospitals for Digestive Diseases by U.S. News & World Report. According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester ranks No. 1 in Minnesota and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Ranked as a hospital. Ranking.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Florida, and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona are ranked among the best hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.
location, travel, accommodation
Mayo Clinic’s main campuses are located in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. Jacksonville, Florida. and Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information about visiting Mayo Clinic, please select a location below.
costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider to millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic does not require a doctor’s referral. Some insurance companies may require a referral or have additional requirements for certain medical care. All reservations are prioritized based on medical necessity.
Click here to learn more about making an appointment at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to confirm your medical coverage and obtain any necessary authorizations before your visit. Your insurance company’s customer service number is often printed on the back of your insurance card.
More information about billing and insurance:
Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota