GI Oncology Program

Specialists Dedicated to the Diagnosis, Treatment and Study of Gastrointestinal Cancers

The diagnosis of cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can be difficult. The GI Oncology Program focuses on state-of-the-art methods of diagnosing and treating cancers of the:

• esophagus
• stomach
• pancreas
• liver
• colon

A Team Approach to Your GI Cancer Care

We have an interdisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers that includes gastroenterologists, radiologists and surgeons working together to provide a continuum of care for you.

Endoscopic Ultrasound
The University of Illinois Medical Center is a major referral center in Chicago for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). This technique allows for the detailed imaging of the wall of the gastrointestinal tract and surrounding organs by using sound waves. This powerful but technically difficult procedure is extremely helpful in the diagnosis of:

• Cancers and tumors of the pancreas, biliary system, and duodenum.
• Evaluation of masses within the gastrointestinal wall when previous standard biopsy attempts have been unhelpful.
• Performing fine-needle aspirations of suspicious masses previously seen on X-ray.
• Staging tumors of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, rectum and biliary system. Improved staging provided by EUS often significantly alters patient management.

EUS is performed by Allan Halline, M.D., and Rama Venu, M.D.

Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive technique valuable for performing liver biopsy under direct vision, and for staging cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and biliary system. This technique is commonly practiced at the Medical Center and can be performed on you as an outpatient. Recent innovations include the use of ultrasonography during laparoscopy, which is particularly valuable in increasing our detection of cancer.