The Upper GI team oversees the care of patients in the Trust with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of upper-gastrointestinal (UGI) or hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) cancer. This includes oesophageal, stomach, pancreatic, duodenal, bile duct, liver and gallbladder cancers.

We manage GP referrals into the Trust with a suspected UGI/ HPB cancer, ensuring investigations are appropriate and timely, our aim is to inform people within 28 days of referral whether an UGI/ HPB cancer has been ruled out or cancer diagnosis confirmed.

Those with a cancer diagnosis will meet a member of the team either on the ward, in the endoscopy unit or in an outpatient clinic to talk you through the next steps, support management of symptoms and offer emotional support. We will keep you updated on any investigations or results and discuss your proposed treatment plan.

Our team works with colleagues at Bradford Teaching Hospitals and Leeds Teaching hospital Trust to determine the most appropriate treatment for a patient’s UGI/HPB cancer and coordinates more specialist investigations at these Trusts as required. The UGI surgical team are based at Bradford hospitals and the HPB surgical team are based at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds. The regional Centre for radiotherapy treatment is also St James’s University Hospital.

If chemotherapy/ immunotherapy treatment is an appropriate treatment for your cancer these are offered at our hematology, oncology day unit (HODU) in Airedale hospital or on the mobile cancer unit (MCU) closer to home.

Our patients or those important to them can contact the team with any questions or to discuss any concerns. We may refer on to other specialist teams at Airedale or teams who can support you at home for different aspects of care.

Our vision is that patients with an UGI or HPB cancer have all the information and support they need on the journey from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.