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Colon Cancer Treatment

If you've recently received a colon, rectal, or anal cancer diagnosis, your world may feel like it's spinning. It can be scary figuring out what to do next. At UVA Health, we're here to help you navigate the diagnosis and colorectal cancer treatment.

Why Choose UVA Health for Colon Cancer Treatment

At UVA Health, you'll find individualized care for colon cancer. We offer the latest treatments. We can remove tumors using robotics and small cameras. These methods mean:

  • Smaller cuts
  • Less pain
  • Faster recovery

Treatment may include one or more of the following options:

Top-Rated Colon Cancer Care

Our colon cancer surgeons earned the highest rating from U.S. News & World Report. That means our care is among the best in the nation.

Our Cancer Center is Virginia's first Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute. Learn what this NCI designation means for you.

Easier Recovery After Colon Cancer Treatment

We also offer a specialized recovery program. It's called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS). ERAS puts you and your family at the center of the care team, so you can return to your normal life as quickly as possible.

Learn more about 2 simple things you can do to recover easier after a colorectal cancer procedure.

Colorectal Cancer Treatment Options

Charles Friel, MD, and Tracy Hedrick, MD, are two of our board-certified colon and rectal surgeons. They describe the full range of surgical care available at UVA for diseases of the anus, colon and rectum, including cancer.

Colon Cancer Diagnosis

We use different tests to screen for colorectal cancer, including:

We may use other tests to confirm the presence of colon cancer. And to see if the cancer has spread:

  • Biopsy
  • Polypectomy
  • CT scan
  • PET scan
  • Transrectal ultrasound
  • Blood tests to look for anemia and cancer markers in the blood
Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trials
A Phase 2, Randomized, Open-label Study of Onvansertib in Combination with FOLFIRI and Bevacizumab or FOLFOX and Bevacizumab Versus FOLFIRI and Bevacizumab or FOLFOX and Bevacizumab for First-line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Patients with a KRAS or NRAS Mutation

The University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center seeks adults ages 18 and over with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Patients with a KRAS or NRAS Mutation for a research study. This study is for patients who have not received prior treatment for their metastatic colorectal cancer. The purpose of the study is to provide evidence that the addition of the investigational agent onvansertib to standard anti-cancer treatment of FOLFIRI or FOLFOX and bevacizumab will improve treatment results. This investigational study will have participants treated with FOLFIRI and bevacizumab or FOLFOX and bevacizumab alone (control arms) or with study treatment onvansertib in combination with FOLFIRI and bevacizumab or FOLFOX and bevacizumab (investigational arms). Onvansertib is an investigational drug. “Investigational” means this treatment is still being tested and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the condition being studied. The study involves receiving the investigational drugs, as well as coming in for study visits, which include exams, laboratory tests, and procedures such as having your blood drawn, and talking to the study doctor. If you are eligible for the study and consent to participate, your involvement includes a screening visit to check for eligibility for the study. After the screening visit you will enter the treatment period which starts with the administration of FOLFOX or FOLFIRI with Bevacizumab with or without onvansertib as per study treatment assigned. Study treatments are divided into “study treatment cycles” (each cycle is 4 weeks). If it is decided that you will no longer take study treatment, you will have an “End of Study Treatment” visit which will be done within 28 days of your last study treatment from when your study doctor decides to stop and prior to starting a new anti-cancer treatment. After stopping study treatment, you will be in the Follow-up period. Participants will be followed for up to 1 year after end of study treatment for survival status, new treatments provided and disease assessments. The information will be collected approximately every 8 weeks during the follow-up period. The study drug, onvansertib, will be provided by the sponsor at no cost to you. All additional study procedures, including laboratory tests, physical examinations, and visits to the study center are provided to you at no charge. Additional information can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06106308 [email protected]

Testing the addition of anti-cancer drug, ZEN003694, to the usual chemotherapy treatment, cetuximab plus encorafenib, for colorectal cancer

The University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center seeks adults ages 18 and over with refractory BRAF V600E Metastatic Colorectal Cancer for a research study. The purpose of this study is to test the safety of a combination of drugs called ZEN003694, cetuximab, and encorafenib. This drug combination has been tested in animals but has not been tested in people. This study tests different doses of the drug to see which dose is safer for people. Cetuximab plus encorafenib has been approved by the FDA to treat some cancers, but the drug combination with ZEN003694 is not approved by the FDA for treatment of your disease. The study involves receiving the investigational drug, as well as coming in for study visits, which include exams, laboratory tests, and procedures such as having your blood drawn, imaging of your tumor, and talking to the study doctor. If you decide to take part in this study, you will get ZEN003694 and encorafenib orally once a day, and cetuximab intravenously on the 1st and 15th day of a 28-day cycle until your disease gets worse, the side effects become too severe, or you withdraw from the study. After you finish your treatment, your doctor will continue to follow your condition and watch you for side effects as well as disease progression. They will check you every 2 months indefinitely by phone or clinic visits. The investigational drug, ZEN003694, will be provided by the study at no cost to you. All additional procedures required by the study, including laboratory tests, physical examinations, and visits to the study center are provided to you at no charge. Additional information can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06102902 [email protected]

An Open Label, Randomized, Controlled, Global Phase 3 Study Comparing ABBV-400 Monotherapy to LONSURF (Trifluridine and Tipiracil) plus Bevacizumab in Subjects with c-Met Over-Expressed Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

The University of Virginia is participating in a clinical research study for adults ages 18 and over, who have been diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer and have evidence of c-Met overexpression (the level of c-Met protein in your tumor cells is increased). The purpose of this study is to determine the recommended ABBV-400 dose when ABBV-400 is given alone (monotherapy) in Stage 1, and to assess if the investigational medicine, ABBV-400 monotherapy, is a safe and effective treatment compared to the standard of care (SOC) LONSURF [Trifluridine and Tipiracil] plus Bevacizumab in subjects with c-Met overexpressed (level of c-Met protein in your tumor cells is increased) uncontrolled metastatic colorectal cancer in Stage 2 of the study plan. If enrolled, you will receive treatment as long as your cancer is responding to the treatment, or until your disease gets worse (unless otherwise decided by your study doctor), you experience unacceptable side effects, you withdraw your consent, you start a different anticancer treatment, the study doctor believes you are no longer receiving benefit from the study drug, or any other discontinuation criteria occur. Following treatment you will be contacted approximately every 3 months to see how you are doing and if you have started any new anti-cancer treatments. Study-related procedures that are being done beyond your standard of care will be provided at no cost to you or your insurance. Additional information can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06614192 [email protected] The (department, division name) seeks (insert as applies: adults/men/women/adolescents/children) ages (insert) with (insert condition) for a research study. The purpose of the study is (insert purpose of study - eg.to test the effectiveness of an investigational medicine; or to find out how stress effects blood pressure.) (Optional)You may be eligible for this study if: (insert brief eligibility criteria 3 or 4 top criteria and in lay language. Do not copy eligibility criteria from the protocol) Study involves (insert procedures-examples: taking an experimental medicine/placebo, blood draws, x rays, overnight stays,) (Insert x number of visits every x (weeks, months,) each visit lasting x amount of time or give range). Insert one of the following: Study-related (insert exams, tests and experimental medication) provided at no cost. or Participant’s insurance company will be billed for medication, test,s and procedures

An Open-Label, Multicenter, First-in-Human, Phase 1 Dose-Escalation and Multicohort Expansion Study of INBRX-109 in Subjects with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors, Including Sarcomas

The University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center seeks adults ages 18 and over with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors, including Ewing Sarcoma and Colorectal Adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this study is to learn about the effects of the study drug, INBRX-109, on you, your immune system, and your specific cancer. This is the first study to test INBRX-109 in humans. Most important, this study is being done to understand how safe this drug is. The study will find out what the well-tolerated dose for patients is and which side effects the drug may cause. The study will also assess how much this drug can slow the growth of cancer. INBRX 109 is an experimental drug, which means the drug has not been approved by any authority that regulates new medications, including the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other international regulatory/government agencies. INBRX-109 will be studied in combination with the following standard chemotherapy regimens depending on your type of cancer: 1. Irinotecan and temozolomide (chemotherapy) in participants with Ewing sarcoma, or 2. Fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan (chemotherapy) in participants with colorectal adenocarcinoma (a cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum). The study involves receiving the study drugs, as well as coming in for study visits, which include exams, laboratory tests, imaging scans, procedures such as having your blood drawn, and talking to the study doctor. If you decide to take part in this study you will receive INBRX-109 once every 3 or 4 weeks (depending on the drug given in combination), for as long as you can tolerate the study treatment, and for as long as the study treatment provides you with benefits regarding your cancer treatment The length of time you will be in the study also includes a Screening period of up to 3 weeks. After you finish study treatment, your Study Doctor will continue to follow-up with you at least once every 3 months. This allows your Study Doctor to watch for any side effects and follow your condition. This will be done for at least 12 months or until you decide that you no longer want to participate and withdraw consent. The study drug INBRX-109 will be provided by the sponsor at no cost to you. All additional study procedures that are beyond your standard medical care, including laboratory tests, physical examinations, and visits to the study center, are provided to you at no charge. Additional information can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03715933 [email protected]

A Phase 2 Nonrandomized, Open-label, Multisite Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Raludotatug Deruxtecan in Participants With Gastrointestinal Cancers

The University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center is enrolling adults ages 18 and over with Gastrointestinal Cancers for a clinical trial. In this trial, researchers are trying to find out if an investigational trial drug called raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd, MK-5909 or DS-6000a) is safe and if it may help stop the growth of these cancers. Raludotatug deruxtecan is investigational, meaning it has not been approved for the treatment of canceru. Everyone in this trial will receive the investigational trial drug and visit the trial site on a regular schedule. These trial visits will , include exams, laboratory tests, and procedures such as having your blood drawn, and talking to the trial doctor. The trial includes 3 phases: Screening, Treatment, and Follow-Up. The screening period will last about a month, with at least 1 visit to the trial site. During the Treatment Phase, you will visit the trial site about 5 times during the first 3 weeks and then 1 time every 3 weeks. How long you will be in the trial depends on your health and how well you tolerate the investigational trial drug. After you stop getting the investigational trial drug, you will enter the follow-up phase. You will have a follow-up visit about 40 days after your last treatment. You will then have follow-up visits about every 6 weeks as long as your cancer does not get worse and you do not start a new cancer treatment. After you stop having follow-up visits, the trial doctor or staff will contact you about every 12 weeks to check on your health. The investigational study drug, will be provided by the sponsor at no cost to you. All additional study procedures that are beyond your standard medical care, including laboratory tests, physical examinations, imaging, and visits to the study center, are provided to you at no cost. You may also be reimbursed for study related travel expenses. Additional information can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06864169 [email protected]

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