Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment

The cancer specialists at SSM Health have access to, and experience with, some of the most advanced technology for detecting and treating most types of gastrointestinal cancer. After initial diagnosis, your treatment and monitoring plan may include any combination of imaging procedures, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Ultimately, you and your doctor will come up with the best plan for you and  your prognosis.

Surgical Procedures Used to Treat Gastrointestinal Cancer

Our board-certified surgical oncologists perform a variety of surgeries to remove tumors and other cancerous cells found in the body. Our procedural specialties include:

• General surgery
• Laparoscopic surgery
• Endoscopic biopsy
• Colostomy
• Esophagectomy
• Gastrectomy (subtotal or total)
• Pancreatectomy
• Partial hepatectomy

If you and your doctor choose surgical treatment, the procedure performed will be specific to your diagnosis, the stage of your cancer and your overall health.

Radiation Therapy to Treat Gastrointestinal Cancer

Occasionally radiation therapy can be used to treat gastrointestinal cancers. Our radiation oncologists focus your treatment on the affected areas to minimize any potential harmful exposure to the nearby healthy tissue.

Chemotherapy & Other Targeted Therapy Options

Chemotherapy typically comes to mind when thinking of cancer treatment. It’s a medication or combination of medications that  is administered orally or  through your veins (IV). As a treatment option, chemotherapy can be given pre- or post-surgery for gastrointestinal cancers.

While chemotherapy destroys cancer cells, targeted therapies stop the abnormal proteins that cause cells to grow and divide. In essence, it destroys tumors without physically removing them from the body.

In some cases, your doctor may recommend other interventions:

• Minimally-invasive cryosurgery: the use of extreme cold produced by liquid nitrogen, or argon gas, to destroy abnormal tissue
• Minimally invasive image-guided biopsies, including cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation
• Tumor embolization therapy: injection of substances to block the flow of blood to cancer cells

No two cancer diagnoses are the same. SSM Health cancer specialists work tirelessly to treat the full scope of your unique situation. . Our doctors will talk you through your options and help you come to a treatment plan you’re comfortable with.

Call an SSM Health cancer specialist today and find the care that’s right for you.