Advances and Controversies in Colorectal Surgical Oncology: International Perspectives

Rapid advancements in colorectal surgical oncology necessitate that clinicians keep informed of new innovations in the care of patients with malignant diseases. Staying updated on best practices, new techniques, and research is critical for improving patient-centered outcomes. This CME course will focus on the latest advances in colorectal surgical oncology, presenting insights from international thought leaders on managing malignant conditions of the colon, rectum, and anus. There are new opportunities for personalized care in this evolving field with ongoing innovations in surgical techniques and non-operative management. Designed for busy clinicians—surgeons, gastroenterologists, medical and radiation oncologists, advanced practice providers (APPs) and nurses—the course will deliver clinically relevant, cutting-edge knowledge on best practices through lectures, clinical case presentations, videos, and a hands-on porcine lab. A multidisciplinary approach will be employed to provide didactic teaching on colorectal oncology from the perspectives of general and specialty surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists, and advanced practice practitioners. A flipped classroom model will encourage learners to share their experiences and expertise, fostering engagement and collaborative learning. 

Target audience

This activity is intended for general surgeons, colorectal surgeons, gastroenterologists, urogynecologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and students.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Describe advances in the management of anal cancers.
2. Summarize the indications and techniques for resection inpatients with colorectal malignancies.
3. Recognize evolving treatment pathways and surgical options for patients with rectal cancer, including non-operative management.
4. Discuss the importance of multidisciplinary team input for cancer care and survivorship management.

SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT FOR A POSTER PRESENTATION

The deadline for poster submission is March 1, 2026

All accepted posters will receive 50% discount on registration on a rolling basis as their submission is reviewed.

All accepted posters will be scored and judged on Thursday, April 9, 2026 or Friday April 10, 2026 by a panel and will be exhibited electronically throughout the meeting.

Submission Rules:

• Abstract  must be in English, their length must not exceed 3000 characters not including spaces and the headers.
• Abstracts should include : Title, Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. The authors and affiliations do not count towards this limit.
• Submission of an abstract requires a paid registration of the first author.  Following registration, please email your abstract to lbordeianou@mgh.harvard.edu
• Only one abstract may be submitted per first author. Once received, a confirmation will be sent to the submitting author
• The submitting author is responsible for the content of the abstract and the consent to submit on behalf of all co-authors

Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

American Board of Surgery (ABS) MOC Recognition Statement
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME requirement of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

Registration instructions

ISUCRS members and Low-Income Country registrants will receive discounted tuition rates. Please use the appropriate code (listed below) at checkout:

• ISUCRS Members will receive 15% off when the following code is used: ISUCRS15

• Low-Income Country registrants will receive 30% off when the following code is used: LIC30

Thursday Hands On Workshops ONLY (In-Person):

Friday & Saturday Main Course ONLY (In-Person or Virtual):

Thursday Workshop AND Friday/Saturday Main Course:

Cancellation Policy:
Registrations cancelled on or before March 26, 2026 will be refunded, less a $50 administrative fee. Registrations cancelled after March 26, 2026 will not be refunded.

Contact mgbcpd@mgb.org if you require assistance in cancelling your online registration.

Additional information

Faculty credentials

Course Directors

Liliana Bordeianou, MD
Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School;
Director,  Colorectal Surgery Program,
Co-Chair, Center for Pelvic Floor Disorders,
Massachusetts General Hospital;
Academic Director, Division of Colorectal Surgery,
Mass General Brigham

Christy Cauley, MD
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School;
Colorectal Surgeon, Gastrointestinal Surgeon
Massachusetts General Hospital 

Joel Goldberg, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School;
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Faculty 

Karim Alavi, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery, UMass Memorial Medical Center;
Associate Professor, UMass Chan Medical School

Karen Bagetta, RN
Massachusetts General Hospital

Ron Bleday, MD
Vice Chair for Quality and Patient Safety, Department of Surgery,
Section Chief, Division of Colorectal Surgery,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital;
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Holly Bonnette, AGP-CNP
Lead Colorectal APP,
Massachusetts General Hospital

George Chang, MD, MS, MHCM, FACS, FASCRS, FSSO
Department Chair ad interim, Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Division of Surgery,
Professor, Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Division of Surgery,
Associate Vice President, Regional Surgery Strategy,
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Julie Cornish, FRCS, MD, MBBCh
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon,
University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff

Jennifer Davids, MD
Section Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery,
Associate Chair for Clinical Operations,
Boston Medical Center

Todd Francone, MD, MPH, FACS, FACSRS
Chief, Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery,
Director, Robotic Surgery
Associate Chair, Department of Surgery,
Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Rob Goldstone, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Newton-Wellesley Hospital;
Staff Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital

Stephen Goldstone, MD, FACS
Principal Investigator Anchor Study,
Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai

Jon Greer, MD
Surgical Oncology, General Surgery,
Director, Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program,
Director, General Surgery Residency Program,
Massachusetts General Hospital

Jason Hall, MD, MPH
Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair, Surgery,
Interim Director, Cancer Center,
Tufts Medical Center;
Benjamin Andrews Professor,
Chair, Department of Surgery,
Tufts University School of Medicine

Jennifer Irani, MD
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School;
Associate Surgeon, Gastrointestinal and General Surgery,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Angela Khunen, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center;
Assistant Professor of Surgery at UMass Chan-Lahey, UMass Chan Medical School;
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine

Hiroko Kunitake, MD, MPH
Colon and Rectal Surgery,
Surgical Director, Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health Clinic,
Massachusetts General Hospital;
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Ayhan Kuzu, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Professor,
University of Ankara

Grace Lee, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital;
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Liz Lilley, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital;
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Lillias Maguire, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery,
Director of Research, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery,
Measey Surgical Faculty Career Development Endowed Professor,
Assistant Professor of Surgery,
Penn Medicine

Peter Marcello, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Colon & Rectal Surgery, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center;
Associate Professor of Surgery at UMass Chan-Lahey, UMass Chan Medical School;
Adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine

Justin Maykel, MD
Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery,
Medical Director of Perioperative Services,
Joseph M. Streeter and Mary Streeter DeFeudis Chair in Surgery,
UMass Memorial Medical Center;
Professor, UMass Chan Medical School

Nelya Melnitchuk, MD, MSc
Gastrointestinal and General Surgery,
Program Director, Colorectal Surgery Fellowship,
Director in Peritoneal Surface Malignancy,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital;
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Melissa Murphy, MD, MPH
Executive Chief of Surgery, Care New England Chief of Surgery,
Associate Surgeon, Gastrointestinal and General Surgery,
Kent Hospital;
Instructor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Joseph Nunoo Mensah, B Med Sci (Hons), BM BS, FRCS, FASCRS, FISUCRS, LLM
Consultant, Colorectal and Laparoscopic Surgeon,
Cleveland Clinic London

Aparna Parikh, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital;
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School;
Program Director GI Medical Oncology,
Director of the Global Cancer Care Program, MGB Cancer Institute;
Chief Scientist and Co-Founder, Reversing Early Recurrence

Miguel Pera, MD
Head of General and Digestive Surgery Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona;
Digestive surgeon, barnaclínic+;
Interim Full Professor,
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Rocco Ricciardi, MD, MPH
Chief, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital;
Endowed Cancer Chair XIX, Mass General Brigham;
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Narimantas Samalavičius, MD
Professor,
Habilitated Doctor of Medical Sciences,
Vilnius University

Julia Saraidaridis, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center;
Assistant Professor of Surgery at UMass Chan-Lahey, UMass Chan Medical School;
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine

Shimul Shaw, MD, MHCM
Division Chief of Abdominal Transplant,
Massachusetts General Hospital;
Clinical Director, Transplant Center, Mass General Brigham

Paige Walsh, MD
Medical Oncology, Mass General Brigham

Jiping Wang, MD
Research Director, Division of Surgical Oncology,
Director, Minimally Invasive Gastric Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital;
Endowed Cancer Chair, Mass General Brigham;
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Jennifer Wo, MD
Associate Program Director
Harvard Radiation Oncology Residency Program,
Massachusetts General Hospital

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, Mass General Brigham is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation Statements

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM
Mass General Brigham designates this live activity for a maximum of 20.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Program

Pre-Course Hands-on Workshops (Thursday, April 9)

Main Course: Friday, April 10, 2026 | 7:00am – 5:00pm

Main Course: Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 7:00am – 5:00pm