Rectal cancer surgery is available to residents of St. Petersburg, Florida, at Moffitt Cancer Center. Located across the bridge in Tampa, Moffitt treats individuals with rectal cancer of varying severity, and we remain committed to helping our patients achieve the best possible outcomes and a better quality of life. One way we are able to do this is through our collaborative approach to developing individualized treatment plans. The multispecialty team within our Gastrointestinal Oncology Program comes together as a tumor board to discuss every new patient’s case and helps their physicians develop individualized treatment plans that will be most successful in treating them.
If our rectal cancer team determines that surgery is the most effective method of treatment for a patient, he or she may undergo one of the following procedures:
- A local excision – The tumor and a small margin of healthy tissue are removed.
- A low anterior resection – The tumor, surrounding tissue and nearby lymph nodes are removed and the remaining ends of the colon are connected.
- An abdominoperineal resection – The cancerous part of the rectum, nearby lymph nodes, rectal sphincter and anus are removed, and a colostomy bag is attached to an opening in the abdominal wall to collect waste.
No matter which kind of rectal cancer surgery a patient undergoes, he or she will have access to any necessary follow-up treatments under the same roof. We aim to make rectal cancer treatment as streamlined as possible, allowing our patients to rest and focus on their health, rather than shuffle from location to location to receive all necessary therapies.
In addition to rectal cancer surgery, Moffitt also provides eligible patients from St. Petersburg, FL, with the opportunity to benefit from one of our clinical trials. We are dedicated to advancing rectal cancer treatment and research, and our efforts have earned us the prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute – and we are the only such center based in Florida.
If you live in St. Petersburg, FL, and would like to consult with the physicians at Moffitt regarding whether or not rectal cancer surgery could benefit you, call 1-888-663-3488 or fill out a new patient registration form online. Referrals are not required to become a patient at Moffitt.
