Gastroenterology and Hepatology

The Gastrointestinal Neoplasia Clinic specializes in the prevention, early detection, diagnostic evaluation and integrated management of luminal gastrointestinal pre-cancers and cancers. For patients who have polyps or cancer, state-of-the-art endoscopic, operative, radiation or medical treatment is coordinated with the appropriate consulting physicians and surgeons. Patients and their families who are at high risk of cancer are given relevant educational materials, receive surveillance recommendations, can be scheduled for genetic testing with counseling, and may qualify for unique clinical trials.

Common disorders seen in the Gastrointestinal Neoplasia Clinic

• Patients and family members with a strong family history of gastrointestinal or other cancers, including inherited cancer syndromes
  • Cowden's syndrome
  • Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
  • Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (also known as HNPCC or Lynch syndrome)
  • Juvenile polyposis syndrome
  • MUTYH-associated polyposis
  • Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
• People with known or suspected gastrointestinal cancers (stomach, small bowel, colon or rectum)
• People with known or suspected gastrointestinal pre-cancers (colorectal polyps)
• People with benign or malignant gastrointestinal cancers that require advanced endoscopic or surgical management
• People at higher than average risk of gastrointestinal cancer, based on:
  • Family history (including heritable syndromes) of gastrointestinal cancer or polyposis
  • Past personal history of gastrointestinal cancer or pre-cancer
  • Long-standing ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
• People with symptoms or signs suggestive of gastrointestinal cancer (persistent upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding, persistent change in stool pattern, persistent lower abdominal pain, abnormal stool blood test, iron deficiency or anemia, unintentional weight loss)
  • Anal cancer
  • Cancer of the appendix
  • Carcinoid tumors (neuroendocrine tumors)
  • Cronkhite-Canada syndrome
  • Fundic gland polyp dysplasia
  • Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs)
  • Gastric intestinal metaplasia
  • Lymphoma of colon or rectum
  • Melanoma of the GI tract
  • Uncommon neoplasms of the stomach, small intestine, colon or rectum