Patient Success Story

A diagnosis that changed everything – locally advanced rectal cancer

She was just 48, with no family history of colorectal cancer. Doctors confirmed it was locally advanced rectal cancer, meaning the tumor had grown deep into the rectal wall but had not spread to distant organs.

The diagnosis was shocking, overwhelming — and it left her questioning where to turn next.

But everything changed as soon as she picked up the phone to call the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center.

"The woman who answered the phone told me, 'We’re going to get you in right away. We’ll get your MRI, your CT, and you’ll see a doctor the very next day.' And I just knew in my heart — I was supposed to be at UC. They wanted to help me right away. That was the moment I knew I was in the right place." 

Non Operative Management of Rectal Cancer: A New Path Forward

At the time, Patty didn’t know that her case would help pioneer a new path of hope for patients like her, not only in Cincinnati — but around the world.

Patty was one of the first patients at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, and among the first anywhere, to undergo a new non-operative management protocol for rectal cancer. This approach avoided major surgery and focused on curing her disease through total neoadjuvant therapy—carefully sequenced chemoradiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy designed to maximize tumor response before considering surgery.

This approach, now becoming more widely adopted, was pioneered at the UC Cancer Center for patients like Patty, who could avoid the life-changing impact of surgery.

A New Standard of Care, Right Here in Cincinnati

Dr. Tahir Latif, medical oncologist at the UC Cancer Center, was part of the multidisciplinary team that treated Patty. He explains why Patty was the perfect candidate for this groundbreaking approach.

“Patty had a very low-lying tumor in her rectum,” Dr. Latif shared. “For her, surgery would have meant living with a permanent colostomy bag for the rest of her life. That’s a huge change for someone who has a long life ahead. So when we evaluated her case, and based on where we were in shifting our practice toward non-operative management, she was an ideal candidate.”

Traditionally, rectal cancer was treated with surgery first, followed by chemotherapy and radiation.

“Decades of practice made surgery the standard,” Dr. Latif said. “But through clinical trials and innovation, we learned that in some patients—about 25 to 40%—a complete response to chemotherapy and radiation is possible. For those patients, we can avoid surgery altogether.”

"A Complete Response” - Hope Without Surgery

Patty was one of those patients. After receiving a carefully sequenced treatment plan—radiation followed by four months of chemotherapy—Patty’s post-treatment evaluations showed no evidence of cancer. Her MRI scans, digital rectal examinations, and clinical assessments all pointed to what doctors call a complete clinical response—a sign that the tumor response was so significant, no detectable cancer remained.

“At UC Cancer Center, we have a multidisciplinary tumor board that includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, and radiologists,” Dr. Latif explained. “We all reviewed Patty’s case together and agreed that she had achieved a complete response. We recommended a surveillance approach instead of surgery.”

A Future Without Surgery

Choosing surveillance over surgery is not a decision taken lightly. It requires confidence, experience, and rigorous follow-up.

“We were comfortable with this approach because we know from studies and our experience that if cancer were to return, we could still intervene surgically with similar outcomes,” Dr. Latif said. “That knowledge gives us the confidence to offer this option to patients like Patty.”

For the next two years, Patty came in for exams every three months, including MRI scans and other tests to make sure the cancer hadn’t returned. Through it all, she remained cancer-free.

“When my doctors told me we could treat this cancer without surgery, I was in awe,” Patty recalled. “They had a plan to cure me without taking out part of my body, without a colostomy. I was overwhelmed with hope—and trust.”

More Than Medicine

Patty’s journey was about more than medical innovation. It was about faith, family, and community.

“My husband never wavered. From the first appointment, he told me, ‘You’re going to be okay. You’re in the best hands.’ My friends and family drove me to appointments, filled my home with meals, and surrounded me with love. My friends also set up a cleaning service every week during my chemo treatments. Even my students—I was a substitute teacher at the time—made me cards, praying for me to get better. It was overwhelming, in the best way.”

Today, Patty is four years cancer-free and thriving. She’s back at the sidelines of her kids’ games, keeping the promise she made to herself during treatment: never to miss a moment.

“The care I got at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center saved my life—and gave me my life back,” Patty said. “From the doctors and nurses to the people who checked me in for radiation, every single person was part of my journey.”

And her story is proof that rectal cancer doesn’t always have to mean surgery.

Leading the Way for Others

Dr. Latif and his team are proud to be part of a movement that’s reshaping cancer care.

“We often say we’re practicing two years ahead of most other centers,” Dr. Latif said. “Because of our participation in clinical trials and our willingness to innovate, patients like Patty are able to benefit from treatments that are only just beginning to catch on in other places.”

For Patty, that innovation made all the difference.

“It feels like a lifetime ago,” Patty said. “I look at pictures from that time, and I hardly recognize myself. But today, I feel amazing. I’m going to see my kids graduate, get married one day. And I don’t take a single day for granted.”

Her advice? Hold onto hope. Because sometimes, the path forward looks nothing like what you feared—and everything like a second chance.

“If you’re facing this diagnosis—know that there are options. And there are people who care deeply about you,” Patty said. “The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center saved my life. They will always be my heroes.”