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Gastroenterological Oncology

Gastroenterological oncology, or cancer of the digestive system includes cancer of organs directly involved in digestion (esophagus, stomach, intestines) and organs that are indirectly involved (pancreas, liver, gallbladder ). Symptoms depend on the location and aggressiveness of the tumor and how fast the cancer is spreading. General symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain. Treatments generally include surgery along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

  1. Stomach Cancer

    • The stomach is comprised of several linings of tissue along with glands that excrete digestive juices. The submucosa is the support lining of the inner layer, a muscle layer that mixes food, the outer layer which covers the stomach, and the subserosa which supports the outer layer. Stomach cancer usually begins in the inner layer of the stomach, and over time can spread deeper into other layers of the stomach and even to nearby organs, such as the esophagus, intestines, liver, and pancreas.

    Colon Cancer

    • Colon and rectal tumors originate in the inner wall of the large intestine. Benign tumors in the large intestine are known as polyps, which do not spread to other parts of the body and can easily be removed during a colonoscopy. However, if polyps remain in the colon for too long, they can become malignant and spread to nearby organs. Once this occurs, the chances of eradicating the colon cancer is highly unlikely.

    Various Treatments

    • Treatment of digestive system cancer depends on the type of cancer and the stage the cancer has progressed into. General treatments include surgery for removal of the bulk mass of the tumor followed by several months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to eradicate any remains of the tumor.

    Survival Rates

    • Survival rates for digestive cancers vary depending on the stage in which the cancer is diagnosed in. Early detection is key for survival. The different forms of digestive cancer (stomach, pancreatic, colon) usually have similar survival rates, with stage 1 cancer yielding a 70 percent survival rate over the first five years, to stage 2 cancer with a 40 percent 5 year survival rate, and stage 4 cancer with a 10 percent 5 year survival rate.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of digestive cancer vary depending on the location of the tumor, but general symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, bleeding and abdominal pain. Because these symptoms are non-specific and can be caused by a variety of illnesses, such as stomach ulcers, diagnosis is usually made from MRI scans that reveal a cancerous tumor. If any of the above listed symptoms recur for more than a week and are unresponsive to medication, a doctor's appointment should be scheduled.

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