Dr. Francis Cannizzo, Jane Seitz, RN, Dr. Richard Arenas, Chief, Surgical Oncology, Bonnie Meade

If you or a family member comes to the Department of Surgical Oncology for treatment of colon cancer, you will find a team of

•  Surgeons
•  Primary care doctors
•  Gastroenterologists
•  Medical and radiation oncologists
•  Nurses

working together with you as a team to bring together different medical disciplines to treat the disease. This multidisciplinary approach to patient care is central to our approach to treating tumors of the colon. 

Our team of experts assesses each patient and decides upon the best course of treatment, taking into account any special needs or preferences of the patient. Drs. Richard Arenas, MD, FACS, and Francis Cannizzo MD, PhD, FACS may perform a state-of-the-art minimally invasive (MIS) approach to the removal of a colon cancer.

Although open surgery may be required for a many patients, many tumors of the colon are now removed using MIS techniques.  MIS usually results in 

• Smaller scars
• Less risk of infection
• Less bleeding and need for blood transfusions
• Less pain and trauma
• Faster healing
• Shorter hospital stays
• The ability to resume normal activity up to four weeks sooner than patients who opt for traditional open surgery.

Patients who require colon surgery such as:

•  Surgery on large and small bowel
•  Creation of ostomies, for palliative and curative reasons (reasons ranging from cancer, to IBD  SPELL OUT, Crohn’s disease, and diverting ostomies during chemotherapy or radiation treatments)
•  Excisions of retroperitoneal masses
•  Formation of Hartman pouch
•  Surgical closure of fistulas

could also undergo chemotherapy treatment at the D’Amour Cancer Care Center.

Surgery and related treatment also focus on the patient’s overall health and well-being, including life-style changes, prevention, nutrition, spiritual issues, etc.  We strongly believe that treating cancer means treating the entire person.

If you or a loved one ever face colon cancer, you can confidently put yourself in the hands of a deeply committed and compassionate team of experts at Baystate Medical Center.  Baystate has state-of-the-art technology and experience in knowing which clinically proven approaches to colon cancer are best suited to the needs and medical history of each individual.  This makes our integrated and holistic approach even more effective in treating colon cancer.