Our Approach

Surgery is commonly used to effectively manage certain types of gastrointestinal cancers, including malignant and premalignant tumors in the stomach, liver, bile ducts, pancreas, small intestine, and colorectum. Our team of surgeons incorporate a variety of state-of-the-art surgical techniques into procedures when necessary. These include:

• Laparoscopic and robotic surgery for stomach, small bowel, and colorectal tumors, as well as for primary and metastatic liver tumors and biliary tumors
• Cytoreduction and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy
• Pancreatectomy (Whipple procedure, distal pancreatectomy, total pancreatectomy, central pancreatectomy, pancreas preserving enucleation)

In addition to chemotherapy, our medical oncology experts provide innovative nonsurgical treatment options including:

• Targeted Therapy, in which a special type of chemotherapy targets the changes in cancer cells that help them grow, divide, and spread
• Immunotherapy, which uses a patient’s own immune system to find and destroy cancer cells

Yale Cancer Center emphasizes the importance of clinical trials for all stages of disease. Many of these drugs are exploring new types of therapy and new combinations of therapies, and many of our studies are available as part of our network of Care Centers. We perform state-of-the-art genomic profiling and laboratory explorations to determine the biologic weaknesses of the tumors and to develop better therapies for patients.

Patients who need radiation oncology to treat their gastrointestinal cancers can feel confident that they are receiving the highest quality care from the most experienced team of radiation oncologists in Connecticut. We offer innovative therapies including:

• Three-dimensional Conformal Radiation: This technique may be used to target radiation to tumors by matching their particular shapes.
• Four-dimensional (4-D) CT simulation makes CT scans faster and more accurate. 4D CT captures the location and movement of tumors and the movement of surrounding organs over time, allowing for more accurate treatment.
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a noninvasive technique used to provide extremely high doses of radiation with a high level of accuracy, resulting in less radiation delivered to surrounding tissue and fewer side effects.

Genetic counselors, nurse practitioners, and physicians collaborate to create highly personalized care plans for patients. For patients found to be at increased risk for colon cancer, the GI Cancer Prevention Program provides comprehensive risk assessment, education, and screening. A strong family history of colorectal or gastric cancer, an inherited mutation, or a significant history of colon polyps may increase risk.

The Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center includes several specialty services, including an Advanced Endoscopy Team focused on diseases of the pancreas, biliary tree, and the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with a variety of symptoms and diseases are evaluated and monitored, including those with pancreatitis, biliary strictures and stones, post-cholecystectomy complications, unexplained abdominal pain, and suspected gastrointestinal malignancies.

Through our Interventional Oncology Program, patients receive cutting-edge care, including image-guided therapies for patients with liver and colorectal cancers. In addition, the program provides a range of therapeutic options for palliative care, including biopsy, vascular port, and chemotherapy catheter placement, as well as various therapies for pain relief.

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating diagnosis that affects more than 55,000 people in the United States each year. Our expert team provides specialized care, incorporating recent advances and innovative new treatment options that have led to a more promising outlook.

The Advanced Endoscopy Team at Smilow Cancer Hospital focuses on diseases of the pancreas, biliary tree, and the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with a variety of symptoms and diseases are evaluated, including those with pancreatitis, biliary strictures and stones, post-cholecystectomy complications, unexplained abdominal pain, and suspected gastrointestinal malignancies.

Our program offers special expertise in these slow growing cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, which arise from neuroendocrine cells.

HIPEC is a technique that delivers high doses of heated chemotherapy directly to abdominal organs to kill cancer cells that may remain after surgical removal of visible tumors. Our physicians are national leaders in the delivery of HIPEC, with a deep understanding of the types of cancer it can be used to treat, the nuances of the therapy, and its effectiveness. Clinical trials using HIPEC are also available.

Yale Cancer Center and our partner, Smilow Cancer Hospital, acknowledge the seven American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) evidence-based quality guidelines for breast and colorectal cancers.

The latest performance data for colorectal cancer is listed here.