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Gastrointestinal Cancer Team |
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It is through the expertise of its staff members, state-of-the-art technology, and careful coordination of its multidisciplinary team that the Scott & White GI Cancer Program is equal to any worldwide.
Highly skilled medical professionals from multiple disciplines offer patients of the GI Cancer Program a remarkably high level of expertise in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of gastroenterologic malignancies.
Scott & White’s mission of providing personalized, comprehensive, high-quality cancer care is the foundation for the GI Cancer Team. Patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancers benefit from a team of GI specialists that provide individualized, compassionate care to each patient.
The patient is one of the most important members of the GI Cancer Team when it comes to his or her own care. Together, the patient and the Team determine the best treatment plan to meet his or her needs.
Our ultimate goal is to improve the survival of patients who are faced with gastrointestinal cancer with compassion and special attention to their quality of life.
Download GI Cancer Program Brochure (pdf)
How to Make Referrals
Referrals from Scott & White physicians, outside physicians, and self-referrals located in Temple can contact the Team Coordinator in the Center for Cancer Prevention and Care at 254-724-3675 or 254-724-1053.
Once the referred patient is registered into the Scott & White system, the Team Coordinator will work with both the patient and the referring physician to obtain the medical documents needed for complete review at the Scott & White GI Cancer Team. Additional consults will be scheduled if needed. The GI Cancer Team strives to involve the referring physician and primary care physician as integral members of the team
How the GI Cancer Team Works
The multi-disciplinary GI Cancer Team collaborates with the patient to ensure that an optimal treatment plan is created. The patient meets with the team members involved in his or her care, including the Team Coordinator, social worker, financial counselor, medical oncologist, gastroenterologist, radiation oncologist, interventional radiologist, and surgeon. Cancer researchers may also be involved if the patient is considering participation in a clinical trial.
The Team Coordinator serves as the contact point for patient referrals and makes all appointments needed to diagnose and treat patients with suspected GI malignancies. The coordinator ensures that all aspects of the patient’s care is coordinated between the relevant medical specialties.
The patient meets with an experienced financial counselor, which allows the patient to ask questions regarding insurance and billing. This initial meeting can help put her mind at ease as she makes important decisions about her care. The counselor is knowledgeable about the financial aspects of cancer care and is a true resource for the patient.
The patient visits with an Oncology Social Worker to discuss a range of issues, including social services and financial assistance options. The Oncology Social Worker provides information about cancer support groups and other resources. A Scott & White chaplain is also available for consult if requested by the patient.
The patient and her family are encouraged to visit the Center for Cancer Prevention and Care during the clinic day and to explore the resources available to them. The center partners with our cancer patients to provide resources to address the issues that may occur following a cancer diagnosis. Educational pamphlets, books, videos, and tapes are available at the center, and designated computer stations allow patients to access the internet to search cancer information. A caring staff is available to answer questions and locate information for patients. Our educators also provide information on healthy lifestyles, and general chemotherapy teaching.
The patient‘s medical oncologist takes a thorough medical history and performs a physical examination. Test results from the laboratory, X-rays, imaging studies, and pathology reports are reviewed and discussed with the patient. The oncologist will also discuss surgical treatment options. If the patient has a family history of cancer, the medical oncologist may refer the patient to a Scott & White geneticist.
A radiation oncologist evaluates the role of radiation therapy. The expectations during and after radiation, and the possible side-effects are explained.
After the consults are completed, the patient then returns to the surgeon for a final decision on surgical treatment. The surgeon discusses with the patient what might be expected before, during and after the surgery. The surgical nurse explains pre- and post-operative care.
About three to four weeks following surgery, the patient is scheduled to return to the medical oncologist for continued treatment.
Innovative Technologies for GI Cancer Treatment at Scott & White
The immense collective expertise of the GI Cancer Team is further augmented by state-of-the-art medical technology. Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), used at Scott & White since 1995, is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis and evaluation of cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and the hepatobiliary system. Although Scott & White has had endoscopic ultrasound capabilities for a number of years, it is available only in a limited number of medical centers in the United States.
One of the many treatment techniques utilized by the interventional radiologists on the team is Chemoembolization. In this procedure, a catheter inserted into an artery in the patient’s groin allows a high concentration of a chemotherapy drug to be injected directly into a tumor without subjecting the entire body to it. Also included in the injection are particles that block the flow of blood to the diseased tissue.
Radiofrequency (RF) Ablation is another of the techniques used by the team to kill a tumor without major invasion of the body. In this procedure, a probe placed in a tumor deposits RF energy causing the tissue around the probe to heat up to a temperature above which cells break apart and die.
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