Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Services
The Upper GI Cancer Team consists of Consultant Surgeons, Gastroenterologists, Oncologists, Radiologists, Pathologists, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Allied Health Professionals with specialist expertise and knowledge of Upper GI cancers.
The UGI team supports and cares for patients and families who are diagnosed with an Upper GI cancer.
Upper gastrointestinal cancers include:
- Oesophageal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Biliary system cancers:- Cholangiocarcinoma.
- Primary Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
The Upper GI team specialise in diagnosing, treating, and caring for people with cancers of the upper GI tract. The team also care for some patients with premalignant conditions such as High Grade Dysphagia HGD.
Referral
You may have been referred by your GP to our Upper GI Service as your GP feels your symptoms need further investigations. Dependent on your symptoms will determine what happens next. For some patients they may go straight to tests such as an endoscopy (see below for further details). For other patients they may get an appointment with one of our team. This could be a face to face appointment or telephone appointment.
At this appointment certain investigations maybe suggested to help with your diagnosis.
The management of Upper GI cancers depends on the stage of disease and patient fitness.
The investigations and subsequent treatments can at first appear quite complex and daunting. From the point of referral, all patients are seen promptly by a member of the specialist team and each individual case will be presented and discussed within our Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings. Patients will be guided through the relevant tests and investigations and will be actively involved in decisions regarding their care.
What tests I might need?
The tests that are often needed to investigate the Upper Gastro-intestinal tract are listed and described below please expand for more information, however not everyone will need all these tests.
Most tests are performed at Huddersfield or Halifax unless stated otherwise.
Treatment
Treatment for upper GI cancer with depend on various factors, this could be stage of disease, patient fitness. Patients will be actively involved in decisions regarding care/treatment.
Treatments for some patients could include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a combination of these treatment options.
Surgery for upper GI cancers can only be done in a specialist cancer centre. Therefore, for oesophageal and gastric cancer if surgery was to be part of your treatment this would be undertaken at Bradford Royal Infirmary where we work closely with a team of upper GI Surgeons.
Please see the videos below for information on oesophageal and stomach surgery at our cancer centre in Bradford.
For cancer of the pancreas, billary system and liver if surgery was to be part of your treatment pathway this would be undertaken at Leeds St James Hospital.
Oncological treatments such as Radiotherapy for any of these cancers would also need to be undertaken at a specialist centre which for us is Leeds, St James Hospital.
Chemotherapy however can be done locally for cancers or the oesophagus, stomach, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas.
Useful Links
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Cancer Research UK websiteCore: fighting gut and liver disease
Core: fighting gut and liver diseaseHeartburn Cancer Awareness and Support
Heartburn Cancer Awareness and SupportMacmillan Cancer Support
Macmillan Cancer SupportOchre: promoting awareness of oesophageal cancer
Ochre: promoting awareness of oesophageal cancer Oesophageal Patients Association
Pancreatic Cancer - if you can have surgery to remove the cancer
Pancreatic Cancer - Inoperable cancer