Surgical Oncologists
The surgical oncologist on your team is a highly specialized hepatopancreaticobilary (HPB) surgeon who focuses on the complex surgical procedures required for liver, pancreas and bile duct cancers. The surgical oncologist works closely with the medical and radiation oncologists and other team members to coordinate and optimize your treatment.
Medical Oncologists
The medical oncologist is the physician who specializes in medical treatment approaches, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy for hepatopancreaticobilary (HPB) cancers (liver, pancreas and bile duct). This physician evaluates which drugs or combination of drugs are best for you, determines how to deliver them safely and manages any side effects.
Radiation Oncologists
A radiation oncologist is a physician who specializes in radiotherapy approaches to fight cancer. For upper gastrointestinal cancers such as the liver, pancreas and bile ducts, radiation therapy may be used before or after surgery and as a palliative treatment to relieve pain.
Pathologists
A pathologist is the physician who analyzes your tissue samples from tumors, lymph nodes and other areas and performs laboratory tests to detect whether cancer cells are present, and if so, the type of cancer. The pathologist provides information your care team needs to determine the very best treatment options for you. At Roswell Park, your samples are analyzed by pathologists who focus specifically on the diagnosis of cancers in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Diagnostic Radiologists
A diagnostic radiologist is a physician who specializes in imaging procedures — including X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and nuclear medicine — to obtain images of the inside of the body and interprets the images to diagnose disease.
Gastroenterologists
The gastroenterologist on your team is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Your gastroenterologist performs the procedures, such as endoscopic ultrasound and cholangioscopy to diagnose the cancer as well as endoscopic procedures to remove early cancers.
Advanced Practice Providers
An advanced practice provider (APP) is a medical professional such as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. APPs work in all areas of the hospital and play an important role in the development and implementation of your treatment plan. They perform examinations, order tests, interpret data and prescribe medication.