About This Specialty
UT Health Austin’s Gastrointestinal Cancer specialty within the Livestrong Cancer Institutes provides care for adult patients (18 years and older) with a gastrointestinal cancer diagnosis, including cancers that affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and other organs within the digestive system, such as the anus, biliary tract, colon, esophagus, gallbladder, stomach, liver, pancreas, rectum, and small intestine. We combine the latest research and methodologies with supportive care for the body, mind, and heart through an integrated comprehensive approach designed to help you and your loved ones maintain balance and wellness through the cancer journey.
Treatment Approach
At UT Health Austin, we take a multidisciplinary approach to your care. This means you will benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists across a variety of disciplines caring for you in one place to avoid having to schedule multiple appointments with providers at locations all over the city. The Gastrointestinal Cancer care team includes medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, oncofertility specialists, onco-psychiatrists, genetic counselors, physical therapists, dietitians, social workers, and more as well as other members of the CaLM Care Team who work together to help you get back to the things in your life that matter most to you.
Through our Multidisciplinary Case Conferences, we collaborate with our colleagues at the Dell Medical School and The University of Texas at Austin to utilize the latest research and treatment techniques, allowing us to provide you with world-class, personalized cancer treatment. We call our approach to cancer care CaLM (Cancer Life reiMagined), and your treatment begins with a comprehensive, whole-person assessment that your care team will use to develop a personalized care plan to treat your condition and help restore your wellness. Depending on your specific needs, your treatment may include combinations of surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiation therapy. Advanced imaging and lab testing are also available on-site if needed.
Appointment Information
At UT Health Austin, we focus on you, the whole patient, making sure that you have the support you need throughout your care. We are committed to clear and timely communication with you, your referring provider, and other healthcare specialists, beginning with your initial visit and continuing throughout your cycle of care. Once we receive a referral from your referring provider, members of the Gastrointestinal Cancer care team will identify any existing records of treatment in the UT Health Austin system and communicate with your referring provider to obtain needed medical records and other information. If you have received medical treatment from a provider other than your referring provider, your care team will contact you to receive a written Authorization to Receive Medical Records from your other provider(s). The Gastrointestinal Cancer care team generally will not schedule your initial appointment until they have received all relevant records. Once all records have been received and reviewed, the UT Health Austin Access Center will contact you to schedule your initial appointment.
Managing cancer is hard enough without having to search for what you need, which is why we compiled a checklist to help you prepare for your first appointment. During your initial visit, your care team will review your medical history, perform a physical exam, schedule any further testing, and discuss the next steps of your care with you and your family.
To explore FAQs regarding your upcoming appointment, please click here.
Effective March 8, 2023, Anna Capasso, MD will no longer see patients at UT Health Austin. Patients may have received a letter notification of her departure for February 23, however, she has moved that date to March 8, 2024. Patients may download an updated copy of her departure letter here.
If you wish to keep your care with UT Health Austin, no action is necessary. If however, you wish to find another provider, please visit our Medical Records page for more information on requesting your medical records.