Sylvester's Gastroenterology High Risk Clinic, expanded through a generous gift from the Diamond Family Foundation, provides screening and care planning for those at high risk for gastrointestinal cancers.

If you are identified as high-risk, our multidisciplinary care team will work with you to create a plan with preventative and therapeutic interventions to decrease the risk of future cancers or detect them early when they are more likely to be cured.

Personalized care for people at high risk for GI cancer

Based on your needs, your care team provides care from:

• Gastrointestinal specialists
• Genetics professionals
• Advanced practice providers
• Surgeons
• Interdisciplinary management team

Personalize Assessment of Lifestyle Modifications:

• Exercise Physiologists
• Health Coach
• Nutritionists

Your GI care team offers expert guidance and services to protect against GI cancers. Together, we will develop a personalized plan for additional testing, screening, or lifestyle modifications to reduce your risk. We will coordinate genetic testing and high-risk cancer surveillance for you and identify at-risk family members. You will also have access to clinical trials designed to create new methods of preventing GI cancer.

We do all this to help you make informed choices about your health.

Am I at high risk for GI cancer?

You're considered to be at high risk if you have:

• GI tract cancers, especially if you are under age 50
• Families with multiple people with cancers, especially involving the stomach, pancreas, and colorectum
• Heritable Syndromes
• Lynch Syndrome
• Disorders of Multiple Colon Polyps
• Families with increased burden of colorectal, pancreas, and stomach cancers

If you meet these criteria, your doctor may recommend cancer screenings at a younger age or more frequently (or both) for you or your family members.

Let's reduce the risk of GI cancer together.

There's no sure way to prevent cancer, but adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors can help reduce cancer risk. In the U.S., 40% of all cancers and 45% of cancer deaths are related to modifiable risk factors like smoking, excess body weight, and alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and/or poor nutrition.

Eating healthy is an important part of improving your health and reducing your cancer risk. Focus on a plant- based diet, highlighting vegetables, fruits, whole grains and avoiding red and processed meats, added sugars and alcohol. Learn more.

Our comprehensive GI cancer prevention services ensure people at high risk of developing GI cancer receive screening and support to manage their risks.

The experts at Sylvester specialize in:

Genetic testing and counseling
Genetic testing can tell you whether you've inherited a genetic change (mutation) to your genes, which significantly increases your risk of developing GI cancer. Our genetic counselors can educate you about genetic testing and help you decide whether testing is right for you. They can also talk to you about your results and your options.

Exercise physiology
According to the American Cancer Society, exercise can help lower your risk of many types of cancer, including GI, colorectal, and uterine cancers – up to 13 different types. Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight, regulate hormone levels, boost your immune system, reduce swelling, and more. Our exercise experts can design an exercise program to help you get moving.

Acupuncture
If you feel anxious or worried about your elevated cancer risk, acupuncture may let you feel more at ease. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine approach that applies extremely thin needles to various points (acupoints) in the body. It's been shown to enhance mental and physical well-being, including improving sleep and relieving stress and anxiety.

Nutrition counseling
A nutritious diet can help you reduce your cancer risk. Some foods, such as processed foods and red meats, can raise your cancer risk, while other foods, like whole grains, vegetables, and high-fiber foods, can enhance your health. Our registered dietitians offer personalized guidance to eat better, control your weight, and lower your cancer risk.

Risk-reduction surgery referrals
If you're at high risk of developing GI cancer, preventive surgery may be recommended. Surgery is a difficult decision; we're here to help you understand all the risks and benefits. We help you understand genetic testing results and offer emotional support every step of the way. We make sure you know all your preventive options so that you can make an informed choice.

Pharmacologic Prevention
This preventive approach uses medicines such as aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications to lower your GI cancer risk. Your care team will talk to you about the possible side effects and risks of chemoprevention and help you decide if it's right for you.

Save a life with early detection

The Diamond Family Foundation supports the expansion of the GI High-Risk clinic through a generous gift. The Diamond Family supports our work in this rapidly evolving field to ensure early detection, prevention, and risk reduction in people at high risk of developing GI cancers. The gift supports research, patient education, awareness, and lifestyle modification programs.

Checking for heritable cancer syndromes of the gastrointestinal tract

Daniel Sussman, M.D., co-manages the multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Clinic in collaboration with the genetics team, including the services of a genetic counselor for patients who require a risk assessment for heritable GI tract cancers.

This shared service offers comprehensive genetic counseling as well as GI medical and endoscopic care for families with a history of cancer.

This is the only such service available in South Florida.

Genetic counselors perform testing for potential heritable syndromes with a simultaneous personalized GI risk management program for each family, including recommendations for cancer screening and medical preventive measures.

For patients who need a risk assessment for heritable GI tract cancers, based on medical and family histories, including Lynch Syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, and families with increased burden of colon, pancreas, and stomach cancers.

This shared service offers comprehensive education, genetic counseling, medical assessment, and endoscopic care for families with a history of cancer.

A risk management program for each family, including recommendations for cancer screening or medical preventive measures.