| Steven M. Powell, M.D. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology |
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Phone: (434)-243-9624 |
Gastrointestinal cancers generate one of the largest health burdens on society. Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Gastroesophageal junctional cancer is the fastest rising in incidence in the United States and many other countries worldwide. Cancers that arise from the gastrointestinal tract or associated organs such as the esophagus, pancreas, and liver are often diagnosed at advanced stages and thus incurable. Thus, advancing our current diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic armamentarium to combat these lethal cancers are a primary focus of our research group.
Recent advances in the fields of molecular genetics and biology provide new avenues we are using to increase our understanding of the development of these gastrointestinal cancers. We are characterizing molecular alterations in the development of gastric and gastroesophageal tumors. Investigations include molecular biologic analyses focused on both familial and sporadic cases of these cancers. In defining mechanisms of gastrointestinal tumorigenesis, we analyze tumor and normal specimens at the genetic and protein levels employing established and “state of the art” molecular techniques. We also are developing new methodologies to examine normal and tumor cells to identify critical changes in these cancers.
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