Gastrointestinal Cancer Program Our Services

Patients of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program have access to the most advanced diagnostic and treatment options available. Supportive care is also available through the CompleteLife Program whose staff compassionately support and educate our patients by tending to the emotional, mental, social and spiritual needs of our patients.

Diagnostic Tools

Many gastrointestinal diagnostic procedures that are now commonplace were first pioneered at the IU Simon Cancer Center. Our program is perhaps best known for its expertise in endoscopy, which involves inserting a long, flexible tube via the mouth or the rectum to visualize the digestive tract. Also, our Gastrointestinal Cancer Program developed use of nurse-administered anesthesia to provide a virtually pain-free colonoscopy. Patients undergo this important examination and wake up afterward feeling normal. The ease of this procedure helps in the diagnosis and treatment of cancerous and precancerous growths in the colon. The goal of the colonoscopy is to stop cancer in its tracks.

Gastrointestinal cancer diagnosis may be aided by one or more of the following tools:

  • clinical examination to check for lumps or other changes
  • blood testing to check the stool for blood
  • colonoscopy or endoscopy to examine the inside of the gastrointestinal tract
  • endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), spiral CT, PET scan and x-rays to take pictures of the gastrointestinal tract and look for cancer cells. EUS combines endoscopy with the imaging capabilities of ultrasound to obtain high-quality images of organs deep inside the body. ECRP, a minimally invasive imaging procedure, is used to diagnose conditions of the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas.
  • fine needle aspiration biopsy to remove tissue or fluid with a needle for examination under a microscope
  • genetic counseling to discuss personal and family medical history of certain gastrointestinal conditions and the possibility of genetic testing
  • genetic testing to identify specific genetic factors that put individuals at greater risk for developing gastrointestinal cancers

Treatment Options

Treatment options for gastrointestinal cancer include one or more of the following, based on the most current treatment recommendations and the needs of the patient:

  • surgery to remove the cancer in an operation and, if the tumor is large, a small amount of healthy tissue around it
  • chemotherapy to kill cancer cells with drugs
  • radiotherapy to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors with powerful rays that may come from a machine outside the body or from material placed in the body
  • immunotherapy to use the patient immune system to fight cancer
  • palliative procedures to relieve pain and symptoms and improve quality of life
  • stent placement in the gastrointestinal tract to provide support and keep an opening

IU Simon Cancer Center patients have access to all standard treatment therapies and, for those who qualify, state of the science clinical trials for care options not yet available elsewhere. Information is also available about ongoing clinical studies elsewhere in the United States.