Types of Cancer We Treat at UPMC

UPMC provides diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for the treatment of oncological diseases. These include cancers of the liver and pancreas, head and neck, and lungs.

In our centers, gynecological and breast cancers and thyroid cancer are also treated.

Book an Appointment

At UPMC, you can book cancer treatment visits and services at the following facilities:

• IRCCS ISMETT – UPMC.
• UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital.
• UPMC Hillman Cancer Center San Pietro FBF.
• UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Villa Maria.

Therapies for Oncology Patients at UPMC

The diagnosis of a solid tumor uses diagnostic tests such as CT scan (CT), PET, X-rays, ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging. The medical team then determines the most suitable treatment based on certain factors. These include the type of cancer to be treated, location and stage of development, and presence or absence of a secondary disease (metastases to other organs). The general state of health of the person also will be taken into consideration.

Types of therapies include:

• Surgical therapies: These are interventions that remove the entire neoplasm or a portion of it. They are performed in cases where the cancer is local and there are no metastases.
• Medical therapies: These include chemotherapy and biological therapies based on the use of monoclonal antibodies. These attack cancer cells or support the person's immune system in its own ability to do so.
• Radiotherapy: Among these, ionizing radiation, which has the function of destroying the tumor mass.

Diagnostic Services We Provide

At UPMC patients can undergo examinations and investigations to verify or exclude the presence of an oncological pathology. On the recommendation of the specialist, patients can undergo blood tests, x-rays, and ultrasounds to investigate the causes of the symptoms that make indicate cancer. If the diagnosis of oncological pathology is confirmed, our doctors will define the oncology treatment on the basis of the most modern treatment protocols.

Our specialists perform oncological surgery to remove early-stage and/or local tumors. At UPMC, we also use chemotherapy, biological therapy, and radiotherapy courses. The latter can be of various types:

• Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT): This consists of an advanced technique capable of adapting the distribution of radiation to the area to be treated and the shape of the neoplasm.
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): This uses a very high-quality CT image acquisition system connected to the device for radiotherapy treatment. It allows doctors to better define the location of the neoplasm. It also ensures that it does not move during the administration of radiation due to the patient's breathing or movements.
• Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRS/SBRT): This directs a high dose of radiation to the tumor with great accuracy. With this technique, the likelihood of necrosis, or cell death, of the tumor mass increases. Patients can also decrease the duration of treatment, limiting the number of sessions. This allows the safeguarding of the patient's healthy tissues.

Cancer Conditions We Treat

UPMC specialists treat numerous types of cancer, which can affect the internal organs, glands, and skin. These include:

• Liver tumor: It is the sixth most frequent in the population and the second highest cause of cancer death worldwide. In Italy, it accounts for 3% of all new cancer diagnoses and affects men more than women.
• Pancreatic cancer: This is a neoplasm that is difficult to treat because it often remains undetected for long periods. It manifests itself mainly as adenocarcinoma, a type of tumor that develops from the tissue of the glands.
• Prostate cancer: This affects one in eight men in Italy. Most neoplasms manifest themselves in the form of adenocarcinoma. When the tumor forms in the prostate, however, it can also lead to sarcomas and carcinomas.
• Tumors of the central nervous system: These can develop in any part of the central nervous system, including the brain, cerebellum, and meninges. However, tumors that originate specifically in the central nervous system are rare. More frequently, in fact, neoplasms that affect the brain, cerebellum and meninges are metastases of tumors located in other parts of the body.
• Tumors of the head and neck: They affect the oral cavity (lip, tongue, cheeks, gums, palate, tonsil pillars), throat, larynx, pharynx, nose, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands, thyroid, and parathyroid glands.
• Tumors of the breast and of the female genital and reproductive system.
• Tumors of the kidney, colorectal area, and lungs.
• Melanomas and neoplasms that affect the skin.

What Are UPMC's Oncology Services Known For?

The diagnostic and treatment services available at UPMC are available for all cancer patients. You can also take advantage of the experience of our specialists if you suffer from suspicious symptoms and have not yet received a certain diagnosis.

With us, you can undergo all the necessary tests and examinations, and identify the path of care that best suits your case. We will assist you throughout the entire therapeutic path.