Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program

Some cancers show early warning signs; GI cancers do not. In fact, most people with an undiagnosed GI cancer don’t experience health problems until the cancer reaches an advanced stage. That’s why a prevention plan is so important for people with a genetic mutation (change) that puts them at high risk. If a cancer or precancerous growth does begin to develop, it can be caught in an early stage, when it can most easily be treated.

If you are referred to the GI Prevention Clinic at SCCA, it means that you have had genetic testing and have already been identified as someone who is at high risk for a GI cancer, either because of a strong family history of GI cancer or because of your test results. 

We work with people like you who have been referred to us by their primary care physician or another medical provider, either from within SCCA or another medical system. People who know they have a strong family history of GI cancer can also contact us directly and make an appointment without a referral. 
 

A strong family history means that two or more close relatives on the same side of your family have had a GI cancer, especially if the cancer was diagnosed before age 50. 
You are also at high risk if you have had:

• A precancerous GI polyp before age 40
• More than 10 precancerous GI polyps at any age
• A GI cancer before age 50
• More than one primary cancer, one of which was a GI cancer, at any age
• An abnormal result on a genetic test for a hereditary GI cancer syndrome, such as Lynch syndrome (HNPCC) or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

• Information about hereditary and nonhereditary GI cancer risk factors
• Strategies to lower your GI cancer risk
• Information about clinical trials you are eligible to participate in through SCCA and our partners at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children's and UW Medicine
• A detailed letter summarizing your visit

• Screening by physical exam and imaging (colonoscopy, upper endoscopy or endoscopic ultrasound)
• Risk-reducing surgery
• Medicine to prevent cancer

Gastroenterologists are trained to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal system, including cancers of the liver, pancreas, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum and anus. At the GI Cancer Prevention Program at SCCA, our gastroenterologists educate patients and help them understand how their genetic risk affects the treatment of their blood cancer.

A medical geneticist is a physician who is specially trained to know what types of genetic tests to order for patients, as well as how to interpret the results. Testing for genetic disorders is complex and includes many different types of tests. Interpreting the results also requires specialized knowledge, because results are typically not simple or straightforward.

This specially trained health care provider helps you understand your risk of a genetic disorder. A genetic counselor can also determine if genetic testing could be helpful for you, based on your personal and family medical and health history. After you have had genetic testing, a genetic counselor can offer information and resources for prevention; connect you with prevention programs, such as those available at SCCA; and help with testing your family members, based on your results. SCCA Genetic Counseling Service providers are all licensed, board-certified genetic counselors.

Your nurse manages your care alongside your physician. They also assist with procedures and treatments. Nurses are resources for you and your caregiver. They answer questions and help with a wide range of topics, like how to cope with side effects or get other services you need at SCCA.

Your patient care coordinator will likely be one of the first people you meet when you come to SCCA. They will gather your medical records and family health history and help guide you to the appropriate genetics or prevention care services within SCCA.