Welcome to the Colon and Gastrointestinal Program of UPMC Cancer Centers. As program co-leaders, we hope that this site provides you with comprehensive information about colorectal, pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers and introduces you to the personnel and activities of the Program.
Our mission is to offer the best care for cancer patients throughout all phases of their disease. The Program strives to provide state-of-the-art treatments and therapies for those with colon or gastrointestinal cancers, to be an educational resource for patients and the community about the disease and to provide an environment that stimulates excellence in cancer research.
The Program employs a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. An experienced and dedicated team of medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, gastrointestinal surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, behavioral psychologists and oncology nurses are available. The team approach is emphasized as cancer care is complex and requires the input of many specialists.
A major focus of the Program is the development and evaluation of novel treatments for gastrointestinal tract cancers. Many of our researchers are actively involved in a number of studies with new compounds such as vaccines and new chemotherapeutic agents. Most often, state-of-the-art treatments can be found only in clinical trials. Because of this, the Program is very active in a number of clinical protocols.
We hope that the following pages will be a useful resource for those interested in learning about colon and gastrointestinal cancers and the Colon and Gastrointestinal Program. We welcome your input and ideas, as well as your support.
Herbert Zeh, MD and Barry Lembersky, MD
Co-Directors, Colon and Gastrointestinal Program of UPMC Cancer
Centers