Ohio State colorectal cancer experts are bringing the latest care and research innovations together to provide patients with timely treatments. “The James is adept at taking translational research in the lab to patients and I’m excited to be part of that,” says Matthew Kalady, MD, the director of the division of colon and rectal surgery at the OSUCCC – James. As an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James houses care and research in one facility, including one of the nation’s first multidisciplinary colorectal cancer centers. “What we call translational research is taking what we learned in the lab— academic work, exciting clinical research and basic science—and translating that into real clinical care,” Kalady explains. Kalady shares more info about colorectal cancer care and research on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Watch on the video player above, and listen via SoundCloud. Part of Kalady’s research is focused on improving the process of predicting which patients will respond well to each type of colorectal cancer treatment. “We've taken biopsies of patients’ [rectal cancer] tumors before they go into treatment and then analyze those in the lab,” he says. “We've created experimental models and found that, if we can knock down a certain protein so it’s not expressed as much, you can actually kill the tumors completely with radiation. Click to learn more about colon and rectal cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at Ohio State. That research could translate into new, non-invasive therapies that can provide effective treatment with less impact to patients. “Are there novel drugs out there that we might be able to develop that could actually make the radiation work better? If so, those people will do better and may not even need surgery at all,” Kalady says. The James comprehensive structure also means that colorectal cancer — and all other cancers at Ohio State — are treated with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together doctors, researchers and other staff members to tailor treatment for each patient. “I think most diseases now require the care of multiple people,” Kalady says. “Everything revolves around the patient. Treatment involves colorectal surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, genetic counselors and then surgical oncologist for some of our metastatic disease as well. “We also meet closely with our what we call a tumor board to discuss all these types of cases. We bring in our pathologists to look at some of the unique things that might be in each tumor. And then, the radiologists will help us make sure that we have all the clinical staging done the right way. So everyone's kind of brought together within that realm.” Click to learn all about gastrointestinal cancer care at the OSUCCC – James.