Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

The Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition department consists of gastroenterologists, laboratory-based scientists and other colleagues working together to provide the highest level of care for patients with a wide variety of gastrointestinal disorders including preneoplastic and malignant conditions. The patient population consists of patients at risk for, or diagnosed with gastrointestinal malignancies (i.e., esophageal, gastric, colorectal, anal, hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers). Special programs are established for diagnosis and management of individuals with hereditary colon cancers and for diagnosis of primary tumors of unknown origin. 

Gastroenterologists provide consultations, endoscopic screening for at-risk groups (adenomotous polyps, Barrett’s esophagus), diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and hepatology services. Endoscopic procedures are available for diagnostic, therapeutic and research uses and include endoscopic ultrasound, laser therapy, polypectomy, liver biopsy and dilation. Chemoprevention studies, studies of familial cancer and mechanisms of tumor progression and metastasis are major research interests of the department.