GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER TREATMENT

Overview

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer refers to a group of cancers that affect the digestive system like Esophageal Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Small Intestine Cancer. They include the cancers of the upper GI tract - Gallbladder Cancer, Liver Cancer , Pancreas Cancer affecting the Hepatobiliary system and Pancreas (HPB), Colorectal cancers affecting the bowel (large intestine or colon and rectum), and cancers affecting the anus. WHO reports indicate that gastrointestinal cancer (GI) cancers are the second most common cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer with the most important reason being the failure to detect at an early stage of gastrointestinal cancer.

Relatively less reported in the past, there has been an increased incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in India due to significant changes in lifestyle predominantly due to alcohol abuse, negative effects of tobacco consumption (through both smoking and smokeless use such as chewing tobacco), changes in dietary patterns, such as low-fiber diets, an increase in meat consumption (including chicken), and exposure to higher levels of pollution (ICMR, 2016). Early gastrointestinal cancers screening and detection helps in improving the survival rate of patients.

Most of the gastrointestinal cancers, if not all,usually start as benign lesions such as polyps which can last for a few years before it develops into cancer.

Therefore there is a great opportunity to eradicate gastrointestinal cancers, provided they are detected early and removed before they develop into cancers.

Furthermore, the 5-year survival rate following treatment of gastrointestinal cancers is much higher at earlier stages of the cancer. Earlier cancers have better outcomes and are treated with minimally invasive techniques that are associated with lower morbidity and earlier return to normal life.