Barts and The London Cancer Centre
We treat and care for patients with cancer of the stomach, oesophagus, pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder, liver and bowel.
We offer comprehensive treatment for patients with stomach, oesophagus, pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder, liver and bowel cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and palliative care. Social service, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and dieticians provide a holistic approach to our care. The management of patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal cancer involves a team of specialists to achieve the best care for individual patients. Our standard treatment guidelines follow those set down by national bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Our primary aim is to treat patients with gastrointestinal cancers. We have detailed discussions with our patients, reviewing their symptoms, and assessing them with regard to the possible benefits and risks of treatment with chemotherapy. Our therapeutic approach ranges from state-of-the-art surgery, conventional chemotherapy, biological targeted therapy, combined chemo-radiation or radiotherapy to state-of-the-art radiotherapy techniques, such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.
For details of surgical treatment of cancer of the liver, pancreas and biliary system, please visit our dedicated website here.
For details regarding surgical treatment of the oesophagus, stomach and bowel please visit the website here.
Barts and The London has been selected as the North East London Bowel Cancer Screening Centre in partnership with Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Screening started at The Royal London Hospital in March 2007 as part of a programme that could significantly reduce the occurrence of the disease. All 60 to 69-year-olds in the area are sent a test kit and asked to return a small stool sample by post. Those whose samples show traces of blood are invited to the screening centre for a colonoscopy to remove polyps before they become cancers, and to detect bowel cancers before they cause symptoms.
The Gastrointestinal Cancer Centre has a multi-disciplinary team that aims to provide local and specialist care for women, as part of the North East London Cancer Network (NELCN).
The multi-disciplinary team meets weekly and comprises of a team co-ordinator, patient pathway manager, cancer surgeons, clinical and medical oncologists, radiology and histopathology specialists, clinical nurse specialists, specialists in palliative medicine, senior nursing representation from outpatients, surgical inpatients, research nursing and practice development.
Barts and The London Gastrointestinal Cancer Centre actively supports patients with suspected or actual gastrointestinal cancers by running innovative research programmes. In our efforts to improve current cancer treatments and patients’ survival, new and ongoing projects are conducted to test a range of treatments in healthcare.
All research is assessed by East London and the City Local Research Ethics Committee as well as the Joint Research and Development Office of the hospitals and Medical School to ensure that the highest standards of good clinical practice are adhered to.
In collaboration with colleagues at the Institute of Cancer at Barts and the London Medical School, we are also developing novel treatments for pancreatic, hepatic and colorectal cancer, including novel therapies such as therapeutic antibodies and small molecules. Our patients involved in our clinical trials are treated in our specialised research unit at our dedicated Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine. Research and development is conducted on new and improved treatments for cancer patients, new preventative treatments and the application of scientific advances in the understanding of cancer causation.
The Centre for Cancer and Inflammation carries out research into cancer biology with a special focus on pancreatic cancer and cancer-related inflammation (such as hepatic and colorectal cancers). The centre is studying the links between cancer and the process of inflammation, with the aim of translating laboratory research in chronic inflammation, cancer growth and spread into new treatment for cancer, especially pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The centre is involved in several Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. Additionally research is being done to evaluate new diagnostic markers and evaluate novel imaging techniques to improve the diagnosis and follow-up of gastrointestinal cancer.
Cancerbackup – stomach cancer information centre www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Stomach
Cancerbackup – bowel cancer information centre www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Bowelcolonrectum
Cancerbackup – liver cancer information centre www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Liver/Primarylivercancer
Cancerbackup – pancreatic cancer information centre www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Pancreas
Find a Clinical Trial www.cancerhelp.org.uk/trials/trials/default
Dr Gibbs’ secretary: 0207 601 8355