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Ursina Teitelbaum, MD, is a Penn Medicine assistant professor of medicine and medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancer, caring for older adults and symptomatic management of cancer patients.  In the second of two posts, Dr. Teitelbaum discusses Penn Medicine’s personalized approach to gastrointestinal treatment.

The era of personalized medicine is truly “here and now” in the field of colorectal cancer therapy at Penn Medicine, and it is exciting to work in a cancer center that has so much to offer in this regard.  Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center is devoted to tissue banking and studying strategies to further individualize cancer treatment. When it comes to cancer treatment, one size truly does not fit all.

Beyond traditional therapies, Penn has a very active program in experimental therapeutics or early phase clinical trials — some of which are very well suited for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies like colorectal cancer.  These early phase studies offer therapy for patients who have exhausted standard options and are fit enough to pursue innovative, experimental regimens.

Outside of clinical trials, I also work closely with specialty-trained surgical oncologists who are able to perform advanced surgeries, such as hepatic metastatectomies, thoracic resections, and HIPEC (hyperthermic Iintraperitoneal chemotherapy).  Penn also provides liver-directed therapies offered by interventional radiologists such as transarterial chemoembolization, radioembolization and radiofrequency ablation.

The Roberts Proton Therapy Center is able to deliver pinpoint radiation to tumors with decreased radiation toxicity to the surrounding tissues – this is particularly relevant for patients with liver cancer as the liver is a very sensitive organ.

All of these treatments can be combined to help patients live longer with a better quality of life, and may help patients take breaks from chemotherapy.

Caring for patients – beyond medicine

Beyond treatment, Penn’s cancer physicians strive to care for patients and their loved ones as a whole, recognizing that everyone in the family and friend network is affected by the illness.  I’m grateful that Penn offers nurse navigation, cancer counseling and supportive services, as well as excellent nutrition support.  I work closely with dedicated GI cancer nutritionists who help monitor patients through every phase of their therapy. Penn also has very well established survivorship programs to help patients during their cancer therapy and beyond.

I feel very fortunate to have many therapy options to offer patients.  Whenever I meet a new patient in my clinic, I actively review all the resources available and how best to sequence his or her care.  Every new patient is discussed in a multidisciplinary conference with the medical oncology group, radiation oncologists and surgical oncologists  — and interventional radiology and pathology is often in attendance as well as other support caregivers. 

This team approach helps open every possible avenue for every patient.

The future of colorectal cancer care

During the past 10 years, I have seen colorectal cancer become more treatable due to the discovery and approval of many new chemotherapies for colorectal cancer and biologic antibody therapies.  Even if a patient’s disease isn’t curable, I am confident that it is treatable.  Physicians used to measure life expectancy in months with metastatic disease, but now patients live years – and these are good years.

I collect magnets from all of the distant ports of call that my patients visit as a symbol of the full and active lives they are living, even when undergoing active therapy. Together we celebrate every birthday and joyful life event that these advanced therapies enable my patients to enjoy.

Learn more about the Abramson Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Cancers Program.