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"My job is to perform surgery," Dr. Georgakis says, "but surgery is not always the best first option. That's why having a multidisciplinary team is crucia l for modern cancer care." Based on the specifics of the case, breakthrough chemotherapies, stereotactic radiosurger y, intensit y-modulated radiotherapy or robotic-assisted surgica l intervention may be indicated. Whatever the need, the team determines the best course of action to lead to optima l patient outcomes. Treatment then begins with one or more of the Cancer Center's providers. Based on the therapy's success or failure, the team modifies the plan as needed. If providers determine that a patient's cancer is unlikely to respond positively to available therapies, the patient is encouraged to participate in the Cancer Center's ongoing clinica l tria ls. PRESSING INTO THE FUTURE W hile Dr. Georga kis has fa ith that one day science will uncover a medication that provides a tr ue cure for pa ncreatic a nd other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, he is dedicated to advancing all aspects of ca ncer ca re. As a surgeon, for insta nce, he suspects a r tificia l intelligence may one day be utilized to perform cer ta in surgica l procedures. Detractors of such a vision are many. However, the history of gastrointestina l surgica l oncolog y gives Dr. Georgakis reason to expect this advance in the coming years. "Twenty years ago, no one thought we would perform a robotic Whipple," he says. "Now, we do most Whipple procedures with robotic assistance. It is imperative that we keep abreast with technolog y and review new developments critica lly but with open minds." In his own surgical practice, Dr. Georgakis performs approximately 80% of his minimally invasive oncologic procedures robotically. This approach requires additiona l training and adapting time-honored techniques to new technolog y. From Dr. Georga kis's perspective, the effort pays off for patients. To further the field of gastrointestina l cancer care, Dr. Georgakis actively participates in and leads laboratory and clinica l resea rch. Cur rent ly, he is st udy i ng t he ef fect of dif ferent chemot herapy a gents a nd surg ica l techniques on ca ncer t hat disseminates in the abdomina l cavit y. W hen patients receive chemotherapy only for these ca ncers, he ex pla ins, life ex pecta ncy is approximately si x months. By completely excising a ll detectable ca ncer prior to injecting chemotherapy into the abdomen, that life ex pecta ncy increases four-fold. Dr. G eorga k is hopes to ex tend life ex pecta ncy even more by determining the most effective medication-surg ica l combination. To date, t h is a rena ha s not received much at tention, a nd he is hopeful that his laborator y results will be encourag ing enough to lead to clinica l tria ls. " With our combination of surgica l innovation, scientif ic inquir y a nd patient ca re, we're at t he foref ront of GI oncolog y ca re at Stony Brook," Dr. G eorga k is says. " We use ever y a spect of our experience to adva nce ca ncer ca re a nd do our jobs better. This is where cha nge happens." ■ Visit bit .ly/GICancerTeam to lear n more about multidisciplinar y GI cancer care available at Stony Brook Cancer Center. 360-Degree Pancreatic Cancer Care Noting Stony Brook Cancer Center's comprehensive approach to gastrointestinal cancer, the National Pancreas Foundation designated the Cancer Center as a Pancreatic Cancer Center. Such a designation recognizes the Cancer Center's excellent medical, radiologic and surgical care of patients. Patients achieve positive outcomes, experience shorter hospital stays, and access pain management and nutrition assistance services. All of these serve as a foundation to a successful program. Appropriate care does not begin in the operating room. For surgical candidates, improved outcomes begin beforehand. At Stony Brook Cancer Center, prehabilitation optimizes patients prior to surgery. Physical therapy, psychological care, nutrition services, palliative care and other services ensure patients are mentally and physically able to withstand surgery. Among the patient population undergoing surgical intervention for gastrointestinal cancer, Stony Brook's commitment to patient well-being is demonstrated through the Cancer Center's reliance upon enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. Today's medical practitioners are aware of ERAS. Many have witnessed how its implementation leads to shorter hospital stays and faster recovery for patients. These standardized postsurgical care guidelines were pioneered at Stony Brook Cancer Center, and they've guided patient care ever since. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 0 2 2 1 3