Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer

Gastrointestinal cancer includes cancers affecting the digestive tract such as stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, and small intestine cancer. Symptoms may vary depending on location but commonly include abdominal pain, weight loss, altered bowel habits, bleeding, indigestion, vomiting, or swallowing difficulty. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, poor diet, chronic inflammation, family history, and certain infections.

Diagnosis often requires endoscopy, colonoscopy, biopsy, CT scan, MRI, and laboratory testing. Treatment depends on cancer type and stage and may involve surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy. Early detection is especially important because many GI cancers progress silently before symptoms become obvious. Modern GI oncology uses multidisciplinary treatment planning to improve survival while preserving digestive function as much as possible.