The American Cancer Society estimated that there would be nearly 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in the U.S. last year -- and about 1,700 in Connecticut. Over the last 15 years, the death rate from this form of cancer has been declining. 

 

Hartford Hospital is a leader in the care of colorectal cancer.  

 

The GI Division of the Department of Medicine has an active colorectal screening program with a busy GI endoscopy unit at the hospital and at other centers around the Hartford area.

 

The Colorectal Surgery Divison of the Department of Surgery includes four board-certified colorectal surgeons who are innovators in the use of endoscopic and laparoscopic colon surgery and many other new techniques. They work closely with pathologists and radiologists in the diagnosis and staging of patients with colorectal cancer and with medical oncologists and radiation oncologists in the coordinated multidisciplinary management of these patients.

A nurse practitioner specailizes in helping patients with stomal and GI issues. Preoperative chemoirradiation is frequently utilized in selected situations to maximize cure and minimize GI function loss from surgery. A variety of specialists meek each week to tackle challenging patient issues.