Surgical Oncology

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Visit the links below to learn more about the types of cancer we treat.

• Stomach (Gastric) Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Liver and Bile Duct Cancer
• Gallbladder Cancer
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)
• Colon/Rectal Cancer

Our Mission

Our mission is to offer patients with tumors of the gastrointestinal tract the opportunity for better outcomes through innovative therapies in conjunction with surgery. The gastrointestinal tract includes the stomach, liver, pancreas, bile ducts and colon/rectum.Gastrointestinal cancers affect approximately 200,000 people per year in the United States and are often associated with poor outcomes even when managed with the best standard practices. We integrate local/regional therapeutics with operations to remove all tumor and prevent recurrences. We use the tumors removed during surgery in our novel ex vivo systems, which allow us to keep your tumor alive for several days. While alive
outside of your body, we study your tumor’s biology and test new agents in order to be better equipped to treat your cancer if it recurs.

The NIH Clinical Center - America's Research Hospital

The NIH Clinical Center, located in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world’s largest hospital fully dedicated to clinical research. Through clinical research, promising discoveries in the laboratory are translated into better health and health care for all.

• Currently, there are about 1,500 clinical research studies at the NIH Clinical Center.
• About half are studies of the natural history of disease, especially rare diseases. What researchers learn by studying rare diseases often adds to the basic understanding of common diseases.
• Most other studies are clinical trials, which often are the first tests of new drugs and therapies in people. The clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center are predominantly Phase I and Phase II, often first-in-human to test safety and efficacy.

Learn more about the NIH Clinical Center

For Newly Enrolled Patients

The NIH Clinical Center Patient Portal is a secure website that connects you to important resources.  The Patient Portal is designed to provide you with access to key medical information regarding care you received at the Clinical Center, including test results.

1. Am I eligible?

   You are eligible to have an in-person or virtual consultation if you have a tumor of the gastrointestinal tract.

2. How will I benefit by participating?

   You will be seen by the National Cancer Institute experts in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, (GE junction, stomach, liver, pancreas, bile duct and colon/rectum). The team includes surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and research support staff. We would like to emphasize that it is not our intention to take over your care from your primary physician. However, the number of experts from different fields who are thinking about the specifics of your medical history may allow us to make recommendations to your treating physician, with the goal of improving your health.

3. Will this clinic benefit others?

   The contribution that your visit to this clinic will make to the care of others cannot be emphasized enough. Our philosophy is that the opportunity to evaluate patients with cancer will help the medical community understand the mechanisms that underlie these diseases. We will have the opportunity to compile details of your history, response to prior treatments, radiographic assessments and molecular studies. The data for a single patient may not provide much insight. However, when combined with that of all other patients, the information will generate many leads to help us better understand the genetic and clinical elements of gastrointestinal cancers.

4. What is the goal of the clinic?

   The data that we obtain from these clinics will help us to design innovative treatment protocols. These protocols may have a biological component (to see which biochemical pathways are activated in the tumor), a molecular component (to determine which genes are disrupted), a radiographic component (to assess different imaging modalities) and a pharmacokinetic component (to see if drug levels in your body are appropriate). Your oncologist will remain in charge of your care. Our role will be to help provide any elements of your care that may not currently be available at your hospital.

5. How do I make an appointment?

   To make an in-person or virtual appointment with our team please call 240-858-3610 or email Surgical.Oncology@nih.gov.