Can rectal cancer be treated surgically?

Yes: Rectal cancer, like any cancer needs - 1) diagnosis, 2) staging and prognosis, 3) treatment. Early rectal cancer may be treated by surgery alone. More often a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are required in a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. Metastatic rectal cancer may depend more heavily on chemotherapy.

Usually: The primary treatment of rectal cancer is surgical, and a colostomy can usually be avoided. For more advanced rectal cancers chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be required in addition to surgery. Few rectal cancers are untreatable.