The Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Clinic for Gastrointestinal Cancers brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts to provide a full spectrum of care for patients with gastrointestinal cancers. The Clinic sees patients with the following suspected or diagnosed malignancies:

• Anal cancer
• Bile duct cancer
• Colon or rectal cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Gallbladder cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Small intestine cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Unknown primary

Additionally, the Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Clinic for Gastrointestinal Cancers sees patients with rare cancers, including  gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors, also known as carcinoids, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Unlike many other institutions, we have seen a number of cases, and we are experienced in the latest treatment modalities for these tumors. 

Clinical Team

The Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinic Team, led by Sohrab Mobarhan, MD, consists of gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, nurses and staff. See the clinical team.

Services

• Diagnosis: New and second opinion patients meet with the team in a single visit to discuss the diagnosis and treatment options. At the end of this meeting, patients walk away with a well-defined treatment plan designed to meet their specific needs. Rush has a dedicated gastrointestinal pathologist, who provides expert diagnosis and confirms initial diagnosis. We also offer the latest in diagnostic tools, including 3-D, high-speed CT imaging and  positron emission tomography (PET) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).

  In addition, we are also committed to work with patients who have family histories of gastrointestinal cancers. Genetic counseling, in which family histories are reviewed, and testing are also part of our program to determine an individual’s risk for gastrointestinal cancers. Rush University Medical Center has an Inherited Susceptibility to Cancer Center and the Sandra Rosenberg Registry for Hereditary and Familial Colon Cancer, which is the only active colorectal cancer registry in Illinois, and one of just 32 in the United States.

• Treatment: Clinic patients will receive the most advanced treatments available for gastrointestinal cancers including:
  • Minimally invasive surgical approaches which means smaller incisions and typically less hospital time for patients
  • A full range of advanced chemotherapeutic agents
  • Radiation therapies that allow higher doses to be delivered to tumors while limiting the dose to healthy tissue, including 3-D radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy and interstitial brachytherapy
  • Interventional endoscopic procedures which include stent placement, tumor removal, radiofrequency ablation therapy and relief of symptoms associated with cancer
  • Ablative therapies, chemoembolization and radioembolization to target cancer that may have spread to other organs.
• Clinical Trials: As part of an academic medical center, patients of the Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinic also have access to the latest treatments and research studies.

More Information and Resources

• Patient and Family Resources