Approximately 15 percent of all patients in southeast Michigan with upper gastrointestinal tumors seek care at the Josephine Ford Cancer Center. Our gastrointestinal oncologists treat more than 1,600 patients with esophageal, gastric, small intestine, hepatic, biliary, and pancreatic malignancies annually.

The roles of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the management of each case are determined by a team of specialists that includes gastroenterologists, diagnostic radiologists, interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and medical oncologists. They meet in a weekly Interdisciplinary Cancer Conference to determine the treatment plan for each patient, discuss any special needs to be addressed by social work and make recommendations for enrollment in clinical trials.

Patients with gastrointestinal malignancies receive state-of-the-art diagnosis, including laparoscopic biopsy procedures and endoscopic ultrasound for presurgical staging of esophageal, gastric and pancreatic tumors.

Laser therapy, photodynamic therapy and external beam radiation are included in the range of treatment options. Neoadjuvant radiation and chemotherapy prior to surgical resection have produced encouraging outcomes in tumors previously considered inoperable.

Many patients participate in National Cancer Institute trials, in-house trials of new treatments and innovative applications of current surgical, radiation and chemotherapeutic treatments for gastrointestinal malignancies. Current studies include trials of combined modality therapy for esophageal cancer and photodynamic therapy in Barrett's esophagus.

For the convenience of patients, appointments with Cancer Center physicians are available at several Henry Ford Medical Centers.

For more information about the Josephine Ford Cancer Center or to schedule an appointment, call 1-888-734-JFCC (5322).