MSK welcomes you to the Center for Young Onset Gastrointestinal Cancer, the first center for people under age 50 who have gastrointestinal cancer. Throughout your treatment, our mission is to care for the special physical, social, and mental health needs of patients with young onset gastrointestinal cancer.
The best care for you
Your care team will design a treatment program that’s best for you, based on your diagnosis and genetic information about your tumor. Many people will have more than one kind of therapy at the same time. Your treatment plan can include:
Surgery in consultation with our surgical team
Surgery for gastrointestinal cancer may be right for tumors that can be removed safely and completely. Before any treatment, our surgeons will consult with our medical oncologists and radiation oncologists.
Chemotherapy using either current drugs, or new drugs through our clinical trials program
Chemotherapy is a drug, or a combination of drugs given to you in your vein (intravenously) or by mouth (orally). Chemotherapy may be the main treatment for tumors that have spread to other parts of the body. We’ll give you the most effective treatment possible while keeping your quality of life. MSK’s medical oncologists have expert knowledge of chemotherapy and will create a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Radiation treatment can effectively deliver precise, high doses of radiation.
You also have access to resources and services that your care team will coordinate for you.
These services include:
- Social Work: A social worker will contact you and provide practical assistance. This can include sharing information about community resources, helping children cope with their parent’s illness, and providing counseling support to you, your family, friends, and caregivers.
- Nutrition: You may speak with a dietitian about creating a personalized diet for you based on your treatment.
- Fertility: You may speak with a fertility expert about your ability to have children after treatment and learn more about options for preserving fertility before your treatment begins.
- Sexual Health: You may speak with doctors, nurses, social workers, and psychologists who specialize in sexual health concerns from your treatment.
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences: You may speak with a psychiatrist, psychologist, and neuropsychologists about issues that may arise such as depression, anxiety and fatigue.
- Genetics: You may speak with doctors and genetic counselors to better understand the risk of cancer for you and your family.
- Integrative Medicine: You may learn ways to use natural treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and yoga as part of your care.
Your care teams work closely together to provide the best medical care. We can help coordinate services for you. Please call us with questions at 212-639-3083.
