Gastrointestinal Cancer Care

Abdominoperineal resection is surgical removal of the anus, rectum and part of the colon through an incision in the abdomen.

Appendectomy is surgical removal of the appendix.

Coloanal anastomosis using total mesorectal excision is surgery to attach the colon to the anus.

Complex reconstruction with colon and small bowel is a surgical procedure to repair a portion of the small or large intestine, and can be used after a bowel resection procedure.

This procedure can restore normal gastrointestinal function and improve quality of life after surgery, so that patients can eat and digest food.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Distal gastrectomy is surgical removal of cancer in the lower part of the stomach. Part of the small intestines may also be removed.

Endoscopic ultrasound staging combines endoscopy and ultrasound to evaluate growths or other abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus.

Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is a video-camera assisted procedure to remove the gallbladder.

Open gallbladder surgery is a traditional approach to removing the gallbladder.

Robotic gallbladder surgery is an advanced, robotic-assisted procedure to remove the gallbladder.

Subtotal or total gastrectomy is surgical removal of all or part of the stomach.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) of the pancreas is a procedure that uses electrical currents to treat pancreatic tumors.

Laparoscopic and open ablation refers to surgical procedures in which radiation, chemicals, or microwave or laser technologies are used to destroy cancer cells. The procedures may be done using a laparoscope inserted through a small incision, or in a traditional open manner.

Laparoscopic  pancreatectomy & Open pancreatectomy is surgical removal of part of the pancreas and possibly the spleen.

Laparoscopic liver resection (partial, hemi and extended) is a surgical procedure in which up to half of the liver is removed through a laparoscope, leaving the remainder of the organ in place.

Liver ablation is a treatment that uses heat or energy to slow or destroy cancerous growths in the liver.

Liver transplant is a surgical procedure to replace a diseased liver with a donated liver – either an entire liver or a portion of a liver.

A liver transplant can potentially provide a new lease on life for some patients. It has the potential to effectively restore liver function, improve quality of life and eliminate the need for ongoing cancer treatments. However, the suitability of a liver transplant as a treatment option for liver cancer depends on various health factors, patient eligibility and donor organ availability.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Metastasectomy/cytoreductive surgery is a surgical procedure to remove visible or accessible metastatic tumors in various parts of the body.

Minimally invasive esophageal surgery is a procedure to remove cancer in the esophagus. The surgery involves making small incisions through which surgeons insert a small camera and can remove cancerous parts of the esophagus and stomach. The surgery may be performed with robotic assistance.

The use of smaller surgical instruments allows the surgeon to make smaller, more precise incisions. This results in a less traumatic experience with lower risk and a quicker recovery for the patient.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Open esophageal surgery is a procedure to remove esophageal tissue and reconstruct the organ with tissue from the stomach or intestines.

Open liver resection (partial, hemi and extended) is a surgical procedure to remove a tumor from the liver through an incision in the abdomen. The diseased part of the liver is also removed.

Total Pancreatectomy is a rare surgery used to treat extreme cases of chronic pancreatitis or cancer. It involves removing the pancreas, bile duct, spleen, gallbladder, part of the small intestine and affected lymph nodes.

Regional nodal dissection, also referred to as regional lymphadenectomy, is the surgical removal of lymph nodes near a tumor. The nodes are then checked for the presence of cancer cells.

Neuroendocrine resection is surgical removal of glands, organs and tissues related to the neuroendocrine system.

Robotic abdominal perineal resection is an advanced, video camera-assisted surgery to remove the rectum, anus and parts of the lower intestines.

Robotic/laparoscopic low anterior resection is a procedure in which a portion of the rectum is removed; the colon is then attached to the remaining part of the rectum. This allows the patient to have bowel movements normally.

Robotic-assisted surgery allows for better and more controlled access, giving the surgeon a clear and magnified view of the surgical area. It allows them to use smaller instruments and move with greater precision in a minimally invasive fashion, all of which results in a less traumatic experience and quicker recovery for the patient.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Robotic/laparoscopic partial colectomy is a surgery to remove the cancerous part of the colon. The two healthy ends of the colon are then attached to each other.

Robotic-assisted surgery allows for better and more controlled access, giving the surgeon a clear and magnified view of the surgical area. It allows them to use smaller instruments and move with greater precision in a minimally invasive fashion, all of which results in a less traumatic experience and quicker recovery for the patient.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Robotic/laparoscopic total colectomy is a surgery to remove the entire colon.Robotic-assisted surgery allows for better and more controlled access, giving the surgeon a clear and magnified view of the surgical area. It allows them to use smaller instruments and move with greater precision in a minimally invasive fashion, all of which results in a less traumatic experience and quicker recovery for the patient.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery is surgery performed through the anus and rectum to remove polyps and early-stage cancers.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery is a video camera-assisted procedure to remove polyps and other growths from the rectum.

Whipple procedure is surgery to remove cancerous tumors; and to examine blood vessels and surrounding tissue to detect the spread of cancer cells. It is one of the most effective treatments for pancreatic and neuroendocrine cancers and offers a good chance for full recovery.

Image-guided radiation therapy delivers high-dose radiation, guided by imaging, directly to the tumors.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) are advanced types of radiation therapies. IMRT uses advanced technology to manipulate the radiation beams to conform to the shape of a tumor. VMAT is a subtype of IMRT in which the machine actively delivers radiation beams while moving in an arc around the patient.

This method of radiation delivery offers next-generation capabilities. The arc-based therapy provided via VMAT delivers high doses of radiation to more focused areas, reducing side effects and the overall treatment time for the patient. This treatment is particularly effective at treating several types of cancer while at the same time reducing toxicity and harm to vital organs.

This procedure is one of several new ways to deliver radiation therapy. It requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Radiopharmaceuticals (Lu-177) is a radioisotope that is combined with a delivery molecule to specifically target a type of cancer cell in some neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancers. This radiopharmaceutical compound simulates the action of a naturally occurring substance and binds to cancer cells. This interaction slows the growth of cancer cells, while at the same time working to destroy them using a radioactive particle inside the cell to damage the cancer cells’ DNA.

The elegance of this therapy lies in its ability to bind the medication directly to cancer cells and to apply radiation from inside the cancer cell – thus delivering a potent dose that does not penetrate very far, thereby sparing normal adjacent healthy cells.

This procedure is one of several new ways to deliver radiation therapy intravenously. It requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized and licensed physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Radiopharmaceuticals (Y-90) is a group of treatments delivered by a catheter and consisting of millions of microscopic, radioactive microspheres that are infused into the arteries that feed the tumor. Y-90 microspheres are delivered into the arteries and can be used to treat cancer that has spread, or metastasized, to the liver. These particles become embedded into the cancer cells and deliver the radiation directly to the cancer site. Two commonly used agents are Theraspheres and Sir Spheres.

The advantage of this treatment is that the radiation penetrates only a short distance, so the risk to the organ is very low while the dose the cancer experiences is very high.

This procedure is one of several new ways to deliver radiation therapy directly into the tumor site. It requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Stereotactic radiation (SABR/SBRT) is a group of treatments that includes stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic ablative radiation (SABR) – both of which are adaptations of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) – for the treatment of targets in the body, but outside the brain. Similar to SRS, these techniques deliver very high doses of radiation using sophisticated motion management and patient immobilization techniques.

The number of radiation treatments is minimal and may range from one to five treatments delivered over one to two weeks.

This procedure is one of several new ways to deliver radiation therapy. It requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT/SIGRT) is an approach to radiation targeting that offers real-time beam guidance from face and body surface-recognition systems.

This treatment is particularly effective at treating several types of cancer while at the same time reducing toxicity and harm to vital organs, thus minimizing side effects.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) is a radiation planning and treatment technique in which three-dimensional (3D) imaging enables improved targeting for radiation treatment. 3D planning with CT imaging makes radiation treatment much more conformal, or tailored to the target.

Chemoembolization is a treatment delivered by a catheter, in which chemotherapy is injected into the blood vessel supplying the tumor, thereby blocking blood supply to tumor.

This treatment can help control disease locally without requiring surgery. This local delivery of chemotherapy reduces the overall side effects the patient experiences, while delivering high doses of treatment directly to the tumor.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Interventional radiology is an invasive procedure guided by radiologic imaging. This approach may be used to implant a port, or vascular access device, in order to obtain diagnostic material, remove fluid from the chest or abdomen, or deliver treatment locally.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) is a complex treatment in which heated chemotherapy is delivered into the abdomen through catheters following extensive surgical removal (debulking) of a tumor in the abdomen.

Some cancers can spread diffusely throughout the abdomen. By combining surgery with the direct application of chemotherapy, this two-step procedure is highly effective at treating cancers that have spread beyond their organ of origin.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Liver directed therapy includes a variety of interventions to target liver lesions – either through chemical or radiation therapies delivered by a catheter, or through localized treatments that target the tumor directly without exposing the rest of the body to the risks of the therapy.

Ostomy care includes the management of the appliances that attach to an ostomy, and the care of the skin around it.