Dr. Francis Cannizzo, Jane Seitz, RN, Dr. Richard Arenas, Chief, Surgical Oncology, Bonnie Meade
If you or a family member come to the Department of Surgical Oncology to be treated for liver or gallbladder cancer at Baystate Medical Center, you will find your care coordinated by a team of
- Surgeons
- Medical oncologists
- Gastroenterologists
- Radiologists
- Nurses
all pooling their skills and experience to ensure the best possible patient outcome.
Surgery may be the best course of action to treat the liver cancer but that decision comes only after the team
- Review what is best for the patient from a medical perspective
- Takes into account any personal needs or preferences of the patient and family.
Our surgeons, Richard Arenas, MD, FACS and Francis Cannizzo, MD, PhD, FACS, are the only surgeons in the Western Massachusetts area who perform minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for the care of liver cancer. MIS usually results in
- Smaller scars
- Less risk of infection
- Less bleeding and need for blood transfusions
- Less pain and trauma
- Faster healing
- Shorter hospital stays
- The ability to resume normal activity up to four weeks sooner than patients who opt for traditional open surgery.
Patients who require surgery for liver or gallbladder cancer, such as laparoscopic liver resection NEED THESE LINKS and partial hepatectomy to remove cancerous tumors, could also be followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the D’Amour Cancer Care Center.
Surgery and related treatment also focus on the patient's overall health and well-being, including lifestyle changes, prevention, nutrition, spiritual issues, exercise, etc. We strongly believe that treating cancer means treating the entire person.
Finally, Baystate Medical Center has powerful tools to treat cancer. Advanced state-of-the-art technology such as radio frequency ablation and chemo-embolization, placed in the hands of our team, utilizes clinically proven techniques to provide patients with the latest treatments for the disease. This makes our integrated and holistic approach even more effective in treating liver cancer.
If you or a loved one ever face liver cancer, you can confidently put yourself in the hands of a deeply committed and compassionate team of experts. Baystate surgeons have the talent and experience to knowing which clinically-tested approaches to liver cancer are best suited to the needs and medical history of each individual. This makes our integrated and holistic approach even more effective in treating liver cancer.
