Colon Surgery Duisburg / Dinslaken (NRW): Prof Vallböhmer

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Prof Dr Daniel Vallböhmer is a specialist in intestinal surgery and gastrointestinal tract surgery. He is the head physician of the Clinic for General and Visceral Surgery at the Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein at Duisburg and Dinslaken.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women and men. According to the Robert Koch Institute, about 70,000 people are diagnosed with the disease in Germany each year. For the optimal treatment of colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer centers specialized in treating this type of cancer have been established recently.

Professor Vallböhmer is head of the certified colorectal cancer center at the Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein, which has created an interdisciplinary network that supports people with colorectal cancer in this challenging life situation. In doing so, the entire team of the colorectal cancer center actively supports all patients in coping with the disease so they can find their way back to everyday life. Specialized therapists form an interdisciplinary team and develop an optimal treatment concept based on the condition or patient.

Professor Vallböhmer, all cooperation partners, and the entire team have been officially certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG) for their expertise and commitment to diagnosing and treating colorectal cancer. This requires, among others, an interdisciplinary tumor conference that selects the most appropriate therapy for each patient because treating colorectal cancer involves various medical specialties. To ensure the best possible treatment in each case, weekly interdisciplinary tumor conferences are held in the Colorectal Cancer Center headed by Prof Dr Vallböhmer, in which all patient findings are discussed, treatment concepts are developed, and regular training sessions are held. Physicians from general and visceral surgery, gastroenterology, oncology, radiotherapy, pathology, and radiology are involved in the tumor conferences.

State-of-the-Art Therapy & Treatment Options for Colon or Rectal Cancer

If colon or rectal cancer is suspected, the entire spectrum of modern diagnostics is available at the Colorectal Cancer Center, such as CT and MRI examinations, colonoscopy/proctoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and blood tests. The best possible therapy is planned and carried out individually for each patient.

Usually, surgical removal of the colon or rectum is the gold standard in therapy to achieve a complete tumor cure. If the cancer of the rectum is primarily "locally advanced," radiotherapy/chemotherapy should be discussed before surgery, which is also offered directly at the Dinslaken-Niederrhein Colorectal Cancer Center.

Surgery is usually carried out minimally invasively (keyhole surgery), although, since 2022, most colorectal cancer surgeries have been carried out using the robotic system (Da Vinci).

Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer

Since colorectal cancer usually develops over several years from benign, precancerous lesions (polyps), a tumor can often be detected and treated at an early stage or while it is still a precursor. Timely removal of polyps can reduce the risk of developing a malignant colorectal tumor by up to 90%.

For early detection, colonoscopy is available, which is repeated after 10 years if the findings are inconspicuous or at shorter intervals if polyps or colon cancer findings are present. Polyps can be removed directly during colonoscopy.

Alternatively, a stool test for occult blood can be done. If this test is positive, however, a colonoscopy should follow to clarify the cause of the bleeding. Colorectal cancer is unlikely if the test is negative, but it cannot be ruled out with certainty.

Please, visit the website of the Dinslaken-Niederrhein Colorectal Cancer Center for more information.