Specialty Services at the UPMC Center for Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Proper diagnosis and treatment of complex gastrointestinal (GI) cancers require care for each individual’s symptoms, risk factors, and other health conditions.

The doctors at the UPMC Center for Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention and Treatment are experts in the latest screening, treatment, and prevention techniques of such cancers.

Coordinated Care with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Our center's expertise as world leaders in GI cancer care is enhanced by matching expertise from other physicians, surgeons, and radiation oncologists — all conveniently located within the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

This cross-disciplinary approach allows us to provide individualized care and ensures that patients have the some of the best minds in these fields contributing to their care.

Advanced GI Cancer Screening Tools

In addition to colonoscopy and other traditional methods of screening for GI cancers, our doctors also use new technologies that can enhance their diagnostic capabilities, including:

• Chromoendoscopy, which uses a dye in the colon to allow more accurate screening than traditional colonoscopy.
• Narrow-band imaging, a high-resolution dye-free technique used in screenings for esophageal cancer.

Access to the Barrett’s Esophagus Specialty Treatment (BEST) Clinic

Barrett’s esophagus is a disorder in which the lining of the esophagus is damaged by stomach acid, placing patients at a higher risk for esophageal cancer.

Since the program began in 2008, the experts at the Barrett's Esophagus Specialty Treatment (BEST) Clinic have treated more than 500 patients and continue to see some of the most high-risk cases. We provide a comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of patients with Barrett's esophagus.

Treatment for Barrett's esophagus may range from lifestyle modifications, medication, endoscopic treatment, and sometimes even surgery. Our team works closely with each patient to provide an individualized treatment approach.

» Read more about Barrett’s esophagus.

Behavioral Health Consultations for People With GI Cancers

People who have been diagnosed with a GI cancer or other pre-cancerous conditions often have difficulty coping with the impact of the disease and its symptoms on their quality of life.

UPMC's Visceral Inflammation and Pain (VIP) Center treats the psychological effects of GI cancers with:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Relaxation techniques
• Medication

We also help treat the chronic pain that can accompany cancer.

Leading the Way in Cancer Research

Leadership in cancer research is a top priority for our gastroenterologists, allowing our group to provide treatment to patients based on the very latest in cancer science:

Setting new screening standards

• UPMC was a principal center for the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO), a nationwide study that is setting new standards in cancer screening.
• We provide expertise to the national Early Detection Research Network.
• We participate in an international consortium studying genetic influences in colorectal cancer.

New treatments

UPMC’s Center for Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention and Treatment was one of the leading sites for research into the first-ever vaccine designed to prevent colon polyps and colorectal cancer.