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The High Risk Upper GI Clinic at Markey Cancer Center · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS, and thank you for tuning in to Cancer Conversations
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  on Talking FACS, a podcast collaboration between the University of Kentucky
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  Markey Cancer Center and the UK Martin Gatton College of Agriculture,
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  Food, and Environment's Cooperative Extension Service.
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  We will share with you the latest developments in cancer prevention,
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  diagnosis, treatment, and research from the experts at Markey Cancer Center,
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  Kentucky's only National Cancer Institute -designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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  Talking FACS is hosted by the UK Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Hello and welcome to Cancer Conversations on Talking FACS, a partnership between
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  the UK Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment and the Market Cancer Center.
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  I am Mindy McCulley, your host, Extension Specialist for Instructional Support
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  with Family and Consumer Sciences Extension at the University of Kentucky.
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  My guest is Tamara Carey, who is a professional surgical oncology advanced provider
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  with the Market Cancer Center. Welcome, Tamara.
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  Thank you. I'm glad to be here. Before we get started talking about the high-risk
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  gastrointestinal clinic, let's just talk about what you do as surgical oncology
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  advanced provider. What does that actually mean?
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  So I am a surgical oncology advanced provider.
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  My official education is as a family nurse practitioner. So I have a master's degree in nursing.
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  So this is actually a specialty. And the patients that we see are the ones that
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  have cancers in upper GI tract, which including stomach,
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  liver, pancreas, and small bowel, and upper part of intestine.
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  So those patients come to surgical oncology, and most of them undergo surgery,
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  which performed by my doctors, by my surgeons.
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  And so my role in those clinics is to assess the patients to make sure that
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  they're eligible for surgery and fit for surgery,
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  and then follow them and post-surgically, and long-term surveillance as well.
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  So another role is to provide services to the patients who have family history
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  of certain cancers that predispose them for high risk of developing similar cancers,
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  or they have genetic mutations that will also predispose them of developing
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  multiple cancers, Well,
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  or single cancer in upper GI drugs.
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  I also have a few patients that actually, well,
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  they're not GI patients, but they under my surveillance due to the risk of developing
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  cancers in any actual region of the body, which as you probably can understand,
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  it's hard to monitor. tour.
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  So those, you know, I don't have a lot of those patients, but they come to my
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  high risk clinic as well.
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  So at the clinic, you see patients who have already been diagnosed with cancers,
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  but then also you see patients who...
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  Are at a risk of developing a cancer because of their genetic predisposition
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  or because of other risk factors that they might exhibit? Yes, that's correct.
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  When someone comes to the upper GI clinic for high-risk patients,
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  do they go through something different than what they would go to if they were
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  going to a regular GI clinic? Yes, absolutely.
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  So for the high-risk GI clinic, Those patients actually have been already evaluated
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  by genetic counselors, and they've been counseling on their risks.
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  So they're pretty aware of their mutations that they have or their family history
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  or their own personal risks of developing cancers.
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  So they have drive and they have kind of basic knowledge from those meetings,
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  prior meetings when they come see me.
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  So when they come see me in the clinic, what I do is I actually develop the
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  plan for their lifelong surveillance,
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  which can include multiple surveillance modalities, such as procedures or imaging.
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  And I make sure that those surveillance modalities happen. If it needs to be
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  approved by insurance, I, you know, talk to insurance.
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  If it needs to be scheduled, I make sure they get scheduled timely.
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  And then I follow on the results with the patients.
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  And then we, you know, making sure that the patient continue follow up on the
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  scheduled basis with, you know, more difficulties of trying to find the provider
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  who can perform the procedures.
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  So basically, I make it easy for the patients to continue with all of their
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  surveillance and preventative treatments if needed.
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  That sounds amazing. And I'm sure that that gives people a lot of peace of mind
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  just to know that somebody has their back, so to speak.
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  Right. So I'm kind of like their quarterback on that aspect of their life.
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  So I always tell my patients, if something happens, if you're concerned or new
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  symptoms them superior.
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  You know where to find me. I'm your person. Be happy to see you sooner than.
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  Scheduled and we will adjust everything you need.
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  So people aren't going to come to you directly.
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  They're going to come to you after something has happened. So either they're
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  scheduled for surgery, right?
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  Or they have had this counseling with the genetic counselors that has identified
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  them as someone who might be at risk for upper GI cancer, right?
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  That's correct, yes. Okay.
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  Before we wrap up, is there anything else our listeners need to know about the
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  high risk upper GI clinic at the Markey Cancer Center?
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  Well, you know, I'd like for them to know that if they have any concerns about
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  their family history, but they don't know where to reach and who to reach to,
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  we would be happy for them to reach to our clinic. Okay.
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  So we can arrange for them appropriate, either a genetic testing or other,
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  you know, whatever they have in mind and whatever the concerns they have in
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  mind, we would be happy to address as we would be their resource to find care
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  and work up that they need.
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  And I think that is such an important point to make that I have found that everyone
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  that we talk to at Markey is so patient-focused and they want to make sure that
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  the patient is getting the proper care that they need.
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  And so if it's not you, you help them find the person that they need.
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  And I appreciate that. And I'm sure that the patients do as well. Yes, absolutely.
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  It is very, you know, healthcare is very confusing and the UK is very big,
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  you know, resources and a lot of providers and I'm sure it's overwhelming even
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  for medical people to find appropriate resources. sources.
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  So, you know, I'm always happy to be the person to kind of navigate things to
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  the point where we do help patients to either find a certain provider or get
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  to that point and help them with whatever they need to be helped with.
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  Well, thank you so much for that. And Tamara, as always, we provide links to
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  the Markey Cancer Center and how to find a provider.
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  And so we will have that in the show notes.
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  And so people will be able to look for you and find you directly if they want to go that route.
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  Thanks again for taking the time to share with me today.
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  Absolutely. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. And if you are just
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  tuning in, you're listening to Cancer Conversations on Talking FACS,
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  and we are available wherever you find your favorite podcast.
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  Thank you for listening to Cancer Conversations on Talking FACS.
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  Our goal is to connect you with the latest advances in cancer research in the Commonwealth.
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  If you enjoyed today's podcast and have a suggestion for a future show topic,
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  please message us on the UK Markey Cancer Center Facebook page at facebook.com
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  forward slash UK Markey or visit our website at markey.uky.edu for more information.
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  You can find University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs
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  at your local extension office or online at fcs.uky.edu.
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  Music.