In the Spotlight: March 1, 2010
The Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers
LocationYawkey Center for Outpatient Care, 7th Floor
LeadershipDavid P. Ryan, MD, Clinical Director, Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers; Clinical Director, Cancer Center
Carlos Fernandez-del Castillo, MD, Clinical Co-Director, Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers; Director, Liver, Biliary and Pancreas Center
Kenneth K. Tanabe, MD, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology; Program Director, Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers
Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief, Massachusetts General Hospital
Theodore S. Hong, MD, Director, Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology
Gregory Y. Lauwers, MD, Director, Gastrointestinal Pathology Service
Peter R. Mueller, MD, Division Head, Abdominal Imaging and Interventional Radiology
ServicesThe Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers provides care and treatment to patients with a wide range of cancers involving the anus, colon and rectum, esophagus, gallbladder, liver and bile ducts, pancreas, stomach and small intestine. The Gosnell Center offers patients a personalized treatment plan and true multidisciplinary care from an expert team of medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nurse practitioners, many of whom specialize in gastrointestinal cancers.
What makes this program special? Surgeons in the Gosnell Center perform a large number of complex procedures including sphincter-sparing rectal cancer surgeries, esophagectomies, complex liver surgery including ex-vivo procedures and transplantation for liver cancers, complex gastric tumor resections, and the “Whipple” procedure for pancreatic cancer. This high volume translates into improved outcomes for many patients with gastrointestinal cancers. Surgeons in the center are also highly experienced in a number of minimally invasive procedures.
At the Gosnell Center, patients have access to advanced radiation therapies such as intraoperative Electron Radiation Therapy (IOERT), 4D treatment planning, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, and proton beam therapy at The Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center. These therapies, combined with advanced imaging and nationally recognized diagnostic services give patients a strong chance for achieving the best possible outcome.
ChallengesPatients with gastrointestinal cancers are often diagnosed and seek treatment during later stages of the disease, and therefore require a very quick coordination of care from medical oncologists, surgeons and radiation oncologists. Many cancers have already metastasized, so the development of new drugs and treatments for later stages of cancer is a critical component of research efforts at the Gosnell Center.
Recent News and Developments The Gosnell Center has an exciting research portfolio involving routine genotyping of all metastatic colorectal cancers, targeted trials and new drugs targeting specific pathways in colorectal cancer. Researchers also actively study adjuvant treatment as well as proton beam therapy for advanced pancreatic and liver cancers. Gosnell Center surgeons have been recognized for collaborating with surgeons in Barcelona, Spain to perform the first natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) on a patient. This revolutionary technique reduces pain and speeds recovery time for patients.
For more information about the Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers, visit: Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers or call 617-724-4000
