Roswell Park is a Center of Excellence for Rectal Cancer Surgery

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a nationally accredited and certified Center of Excellence for colorectal cancer surgery due to the high volume of procedures completed annually for patients with colon and rectal cancer.

“Being a high-volume specialized center, we have access to many ancillary disciplines, including older adult oncology, fertility clinics, genetics counseling and pelvic floor therapy,” all of which help provide truly comprehensive care for these patients, says Anthony Dakwar, MD, FACS, FASCRS, a surgical oncologist and Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Roswell Park.

Referring newly diagnosed patients to Roswell Park means they can be presented for a radiographic, endoscopic and physical exam, which will help determine all treatment options. After this exam, and a review of the results by the multidisciplinary team within the department, it’s possible some patients may be able to avoid surgery altogether.  

If patients have completed neoadjuvant therapy and still require surgery, they should be treated by experts who specialize in such procedures, he adds. “It is important to have surgery done at a high-volume center such as Roswell Park. Here, not only do we have the experience, but we have the technical skill set to do so, and that is why a majority of our cases, more than 90%, robotically. This minimally invasive approach not only helps the patient recover but decreases potential side effects, complications and expedites recovery.”