Gastrointestinal Cancer

Gastrointestinal cancer means cancer of digestive system.

Overview

Gastrointestinal cancer is cancer that develops along the GI tract (also called the digestive tract). The GI tract starts at the esophagus (the tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach) and ends at the anus (where waste exits the body).

Primary GI cancer starts growing in the GI tract. Metastatic gastrointestinal cancers originate in the GI tract, but spread to the other parts of the body.

Types of GI Tract Cancers

Anal Cancer:

Anal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the anus. Most anal cancers are related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Signs of anal cancer include bleeding from the anus or rectum or a lump near the anus.

Symptoms of Anal Cancer:

  • Bleeding from the rectum.
  • Itching in or around the rectum.
  • A lump or mass at the anal opening.
  • Pain or a feeling of fullness in the anal area.
  • Narrowing of stool or other changes in bowel movements.
  • Abnormal discharge from the anus.
  • Incontinence of stool (loss of bowel control)

Causes of Anal Cancer:

  • Older age. Most cases of anal cancer occur in people age 50 and older.
  • Many sexual partners.
  • Anal sex.
  • Smoking.
  • History of cancer.
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV).
  • Drugs or conditions that suppress your immune system.

Bile Duct Cancer:

Bile duct cancer, also called cholangiocarcinoma, is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the bile ducts. The bile ducts are small tubes that connect different organs. They are part of the digestive system.

Symptoms of Bile Duct Cancer:

  • your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow (jaundice), you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual.
  • loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to.
  • feeling generally unwell.
  • feeling tired or having no energy.
  • a high temperature, or you feel hot or shivery.

Causes of Bile Duct Cancer:

  • Primary sclerosing cholangitis. This disease causes hardening and scarring of the bile ducts.
  • Chronic liver disease.
  • Bile duct problems present at birth.
  • A liver parasite.
  • Older age.
  • Smoking.
  • Diabetes.
  • Certain inherited conditions.

Colon Cancer:

Colon cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the large intestine (colon). The colon is the final part of the digestive tract. Colon cancer typically affects older adults, though it can happen at any age.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer :

  • A persistent change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool.
  • Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool.
  • Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain.
  • A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely.

Causes of Colon Cancer:

  • Older age.
  • African-American race.
  • A personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps.
  • Inflammatory intestinal conditions.
  • Inherited syndromes that increase colon cancer risk.
  • Family history of colon cancer.
  • Low-fiber, high-fat diet.
  • A sedentary lifestyle.

Esophageal Cancer:

Esophageal cancer is cancer that occurs in the esophagus — a long, hollow tube that runs from your throat to your stomach.

Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer:

  • Trouble swallowing.
  • Chest pain.
  • Weight loss.
  • Hoarseness.
  • Chronic cough.
  • Vomiting.
  • Bone pain (if cancer has spread to the bone)
  • Bleeding into the esophagus. This blood then passes through the digestive tract, which may turn the stool black.

Causes of Esophageal Cancer:

  • Smoking.
  • Heavy alcohol consumption.
  • Chronic heartburn or acid reflux.
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that sometimes develops in people with GERD.
  • Achalasia, a rare disorder of muscles in the lower esophagus.

Gallbladder Cancer:

Gallbladder is a small organ below the liver. Gallbladder cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the gallbladder. Being female can increase the risk of developing gallbladder cancer. Signs and symptoms of gallbladder cancer include jaundice, fever, and pain. Gallbladder cancer is difficult to detect (find) and diagnose early.

Symptoms of Gallbladder Cancer:

  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin, including the gums and inner lips, and yellowing of the whites of the eyes)
  • Abdominal pain and cramping.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Bloating.
  • A lump in the abdomen.
  • Fever.
  • Itchy skin.

Causes of Gallbladder Cancer:

  • Gallstones. Gallstones are the most common risk factor for gallbladder cancer. …
  • Porcelain gallbladder. …
  • Female gender. …
  • Obesity. …
  • Older age. …
  • Ethnicity and geography. …
  • Choledochal cysts. …
  • Abnormalities of the bile ducts.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors:

A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a type of cancer that begins in the digestive system. GIST s happen most often in the stomach and small intestine. A GIST is a growth of cells that’s thought to form from a special type of nerve cells. These special nerve cells are in the walls of the digestive organs.

Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors:

  • Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool or vomit.
  • Pain in the abdomen, which may be severe.
  • Feeling very tired.
  • Trouble or pain when swallowing.
  • Feeling full after only a little food is eaten.

Causes of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors:

The only known risk factors for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) − older age and certain rare, inherited genetic syndromes – cannot be changed. There are no known lifestyle-related or environmental causes of GISTs, so at this time we do not know of any way to protect against these cancers.

Liver Cancer:

Liver cancer is cancer that begins in the cells of your liver. Your liver is a football-sized organ that sits in the upper right portion of your abdomen, beneath your diaphragm and above your stomach.

Several types of cancer can form in the liver. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, which begins in the main type of liver cell (hepatocyte). Other types of liver cancer, such as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatoblastoma, are much less common.

Cancer that spreads to the liver is more common than cancer that begins in the liver cells. Cancer that begins in another area of the body — such as the colon, lung or breast — and then spreads to the liver is called metastatic cancer rather than liver cancer. This type of cancer is named after the organ in which it began — such as metastatic colon cancer to describe cancer that begins in the colon and spreads to the liver.

Symptoms of Liver Cancer:

  • Losing weight without trying.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Upper abdominal pain.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • General weakness and fatigue.
  • Abdominal swelling.
  • Yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
  • White, chalky stools.

Causes of Liver Cancer:

  • Chronic infection with HBV or HCV. Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases your risk of liver cancer.
  • Cirrhosis.
  • Certain inherited liver diseases.
  • Diabetes.
  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • Exposure to aflatoxins.
  • Excessive alcohol consumption.

Pancreatic Cancer:

Pancreatic cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces hormones that help manage your blood sugar.

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer:

  • Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
  • Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
  • Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
  • Light-colored stools
  • Dark-colored urine
  • Itchy skin
  • New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that’s becoming more difficult to control
  • Blood clots
  • Fatigue

Causes of Pancreatic Cancer:

  • Smoking.
  • Diabetes.
  • Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
  • Family history of genetic syndromes that can increase cancer risk, including a BRCA2 gene mutation, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome.
  • Family history of pancreatic cancer.
  • Obesity.

Rectal Cancer:

Rectal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells develop in the rectum. Signs of rectal cancer include diarrhea, constipation or blood in your poop. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Rectal cancer is curable, especially when detected early through screening methods like colonoscopy.

Symptoms of Rectal Cancer:

  •  change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or more-frequent bowel movements.
  • Dark maroon or bright red blood in stool.
  • Narrow stool.
  • A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Weakness or fatigue.

Causes of Rectal Cancer:

  • Older age.
  • African-American descent.
  • A personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Inherited syndromes that increase rectal cancer risk.
  • Family history of colorectal cancer.
  • Eating a diet low in vegetables.
  • Too little exercise.

Small Intestine Cancer:

Small intestine cancer is a rare disease where cells in the tissue of the small intestine change. They grow out of control and can form a mass, or tumor. The small intestine (also called “small bowel”) connects your stomach to your large intestine.

Symptoms of Small Intestine Cancer:

  • Pain in the belly (abdomen)
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Weight loss (without trying)
  • Weakness and feeling tired (fatigue)
  • Dark-colored stools (from bleeding into the intestine)
  • Low red blood cell counts (anemia)
  • Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

Causes of Small Intestine Cancer:

  • Sex. Small intestine cancer occurs slightly more often in men than in women.
  • Age. Cancers of the small intestine tend to occur more often in older people. …
  • Race/ethnicity. …
  • Smoking and alcohol use. …
  • Diet. …
  • Celiac disease. …
  • Colon cancer. …
  • Crohn’s disease.

Stomach (Gastric) Cancer:

Your stomach receives and holds the food you eat and then helps to break down and digest it. Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, can affect any part of the stomach. In most of the world, stomach cancers form in the main part of the stomach (stomach body).

Symptoms of Stomach (Gastric) Cancer:

  • Difficulty swallowing.
  • Feeling bloated after eating.
  • Feeling full after eating small amounts of food.
  • Heartburn.
  • Indigestion.
  • Nausea.
  • Stomach pain.
  • Unintentional weight loss.

Causes of Stomach (Gastric) Cancer:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
  • Obesity.
  • A diet high in salty and smoked foods.
  • A diet low in fruits and vegetables.
  • Family history of stomach cancer.
  • Infection with Helicobacter pylori.
  • Long-term stomach inflammation (gastritis)
  • Smoking.

Appendiceal Cancer:

Appendiceal cancer is a type of cancer that grows from cells that make up the appendix. The appendix is a small pouch of tissue in the abdomen. It is part of the intestines and colon, which absorb nutrients and remove waste from the body. We do not know what the appendix does, but it may help the immune system.

Symptoms of Appendiceal Cancer:

  • Appendicitis (inflammation or infection of the appendix).
  • Bloating.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Pelvic pain.
  • Fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites).
  • Changes in bowel function.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Increase in waist size.

Causes of Appendiceal Cancer:

  • Smoking. 
  • A family history of appendix cancer.
  • Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome.
  • Pernicious Anemia
  • Atrophic Gastritis
  • Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

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