Gastrointestinal cancers affect your esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum, and organs such as the liver and pancreas. You can benefit from an accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer and innovative treatments by calling your nearest office or booking an in-person or telemedicine appointment online. Gastrointestinal cancer can affect any part of your digestive system, from your esophagus to your anus. Your stomach, small and large intestines, rectum, and organs like your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder all play a significant role in food digestion and waste elimination.
Cancer develops when cells in these organs and tissues grow at an accelerated rate. The genetic mutations make cancer cells multiply quickly and remove their lifespan restriction. Instead of dying like normal cells, the fast-growing cancer cells form masses or lumps, leading to:. As you age, your risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer increases.
Other risk factors include a family history of the disease, smoking, excess alcohol consumption, and having conditions like hepatitis or inflammatory bowel disease IBD. Gastrointestinal cancer symptoms vary depending on the kind of cancer you have. For example, esophageal cancer can cause dysphagia difficulty swallowing , while colorectal cancer can cause rectal bleeding. Some common symptoms of several gastrointestinal cancers include:. If you have the symptoms described above, Arizona Center for Cancer Care uses advanced diagnostics to confirm or exclude different gastrointestinal cancers.
They start with a review of your medical and family history and a physical exam. You might need diagnostic imaging procedures like an ultrasound, CT, or positron emission tomography PET scan to identify abnormalities like tumors in your gastrointestinal tract.
Colorectal cancer diagnosis involves having a colonoscopy. That minimally invasive procedure uses a specialized endoscope a light and camera on the end of a flexible tube that your provider inserts into your rectum and colon.
