The Underwood Center offers advanced, comprehensive care for patients with esophageal and gastric cancers. Our goal is to apply all the latest research, continuously adapt, and appropriately apply this knowledge to each individual patient.

Patients with early-stage cancer that have a favorable pathology can be treated with minimally invasive procedures to remove tumors in the esophagus as well as in the colon, stomach and duodenum. 

We closely monitor patients with Barrett’s esophagus. When appropriate, we can also use EMR or ESD to remove nodularity, then perform ablation to encourage the development of normal tissue for these patients.

Using surgical robotics, we remove esophageal cancers while preserving healthy organ tissue, shortening recovery time and reducing pain for the patient. When esophageal cancer is locally advanced, this surgery is combined with chemotherapy and radiation, tailored to each patient’s needs. We work with medical and radiation oncologists in the community so that chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be administered closer to home.

For some advanced cancers, we perform a supercharged jejunum, a complex reconstruction of the esophagus and stomach.

Treatment for stomach cancer also depends on the stage of the cancer. We perform subtotal or total gastrectomy and remove part of the omentum, esophagus, small intestine or nearby lymph nodes, as necessary. Many patients are treated with chemotherapy or chemoradiation before surgery to shrink the cancer and make it easier to remove. Treatment after surgery may include chemo alone or chemoradiation.

The patient’s needs are assessed often, throughout the process of treatment. All therapies are personalized and based on the patient’s stage, goals and tolerability.