Doctor speaking with patient

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Home Medical Services Cancer Cancer Types Gastrointestinal Cancer
Print

Gastrointestinal Cancer Care Designed for You

The gastrointestinal (GI) system, or digestive system, is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food and passing waste through the body. It is made of a series of organs, including the stomach, large and small intestine, pancreas, colon, liver, rectum, anus, and biliary system. When cells in this area begin behaving abnormally, multiplying frequently and crowding healthy cells, it may be a sign of GI cancer. 


Types of Gastrointestinal Cancer We Treat 

There are five main types of gastrointestinal cancer. Depending on which areas are affected, you may be diagnosed with: 

Colon Cancer

The colon is part of the large intestine, a critical organ that helps move digested food out of the body. It’s responsible for absorbing water and breaking down any remaining materials so the food you eat can be passed.

After the colon is the rectum, which makes up the last six inches of the large intestine. It’s responsible for absorbing any remaining water and electrolytes at the end of digestion, as well as a final holding place for waste before it’s removed from the body.

Because these two body parts are closely connected, you may sometimes hear cancer in this region referred to as colorectal cancer. Most colorectal cancer begins as a growth called a polyp, which typically forms on the inner wall of the colon or rectum. Finding and removing polyps can help prevent colorectal cancer. 

While they are different body parts, the risk factors, signs and symptoms, and treatment options are very similar. 

Download the colorectal cancer guide.

Colon Cancer Risk Factors

Risk factors for colon and rectal cancer can be separated into three categories.

Health History

  • Having a family history of colon or rectal cancer in a parent, sibling or child
  • Having a personal history of certain other cancers
  • Having a personal history of high-risk polyps
  • Having inherited changes in genes that increase the risk of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome
  • Having a personal history of chronic ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease for 8 years or more

Lifestyle Choices

  • Having 3 or more alcoholic drinks per day
  • Smoking cigarettes
  • Being overweight or living with obesity
  • Having an inactive lifestyle

Other Risks

  • Getting older, especially after age 50
  • Having type 2 diabetes
  • Being African American 

Colorectal cancer screening can find signs of colon or colorectal cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Your primary care provider can help get you started on a screening schedule that makes sense for you and your risk factors.

Colon Cancer Signs and Symptoms

These signs and symptoms may be caused by colon or rectal cancer:

  • A change in bowel habits 
  • Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool 
  • Diarrhea, constipation or feeling that the bowel does not empty all the way 
  • Stools that are narrower or a different shape than usual 
  • Frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness or cramps 
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Feeling very tired 
  • Change in appetite or vomiting 
  • Rectal pain

Since these can also be indicators of other conditions, check with your primary care provider so they can determine the cause.

Colon Cancer Treatments

Surgery allows doctors to remove the cancer or a suspicious polyp. There are a variety of surgical procedures based on the stage and behavior of the cancer.  

Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing. 

Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down their growth and eliminate the disease. 

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Liver Cancer

The liver is located on upper right side of the abdomen inside the rib cage and is one of the largest organs in the body. Three important functions of the liver are to filter harmful substances from the blood, make bile to help digest food and store sugar, which the body uses for energy. If liver cells begin to grow uncontrollably, you may be diagnosed with liver cancer. 

Download the liver cancer guide.

Liver Cancer Risk Factors

Some factors that put you at a higher risk for liver cancer include: 

  • Having hepatitis B, hepatitis C or both
  • Having cirrhosis, which can be caused by hepatitis or drinking large amounts of alcohol for many years
  • Having metabolic syndrome, a set of conditions that occur together, including extra fat around the abdomen, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoproteins in the blood

Liver Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of liver cancer include:

  • Abdomen pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Fever
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Unusual tiredness or weakness
  • A swollen abdomen
  • A hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage

Sometimes, liver cancer could be present with no symptoms but is found on imaging. If you think you could have liver cancer, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.

Liver Cancer Treatments

Surgery allows doctors to remove the cancer, as well as lymph nodes or other tissues around the cancer.

A liver transplant is when the entire liver is removed and replaced with a healthy donated liver. Ablation therapy removes or destroys tissue.

Embolization therapy uses substances to block or decrease blood flow through to the tumor.

Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down their growth and eliminate the disease.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Immunotherapy helps your body create more immune cells, which find and kill cancer cells.

Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing.

Bile Duct and Gallbladder Cancer

A network of tubes, called ducts, connects the liver, gallbladder and small intestine. This network begins in the liver where many small ducts collect bile, a fluid made by the liver to break down fats during digestion. Bile passes through the ducts and is stored in the gallbladder. It’s rare, but cancer can develop in this area. 

Bile duct and gallbladder cancer are closely related to liver cancer but have some key differences. 

Download the bile duct and gallbladder cancer guide.

Bile Duct and Gallbladder Cancer Risk Factors

Some factors that put you at a higher risk for bile duct and gallbladder cancer include: 

  • Having hepatitis B, or hepatitis C, or both
  • Having cirrhosis, which can be caused by hepatitis or drinking large amounts of alcohol for many years
  • Having metabolic syndrome, a set of conditions that occur together, including extra fat around the abdomen, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoproteins in the blood

Additional risks for getting gallbladder cancer include having gallstones that damage the gallbladder.

Bile Duct and Gallbladder Cancer Signs & Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of bile duct and gallbladder cancer include:

  • Jaundice
  • Itching
  • Dark urine
  • Light-colored or greasy stools
  • Abdomen pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Unusual tiredness or weakness

If you think you may have bile duct or gallbladder cancer, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.

Bile Duct and Gallbladder Cancer Treatments

Surgery allows doctors to remove the cancer, as well as lymph nodes or other tissues around the cancer.

A liver transplant is when the entire liver is removed and replaced with a healthy donated liver. 

Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down their growth and eliminate the disease.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing.

Stomach Cancer

The stomach is the part of the digestive system that temporarily stores food and helps break it down. The wall of the stomach is made up of three layers of tissue – the mucosal layer, the muscularis layer and the serosal layer. Stomach, or gastric, cancer begins in the cells lining the innermost mucosal layer and spreads through the outer layers as it grows.

Download the stomach cancer guide.

Stomach Cancer Risk Factors

Some factors put you at a higher risk of developing stomach cancer, including: 

  • Having any of the following medical conditions: 
    • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of the stomach 
    • Chronic stomach inflammation
    • Pernicious anemia 
    • Intestinal metaplasia
    • Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or gastric polyps 
  • Eating a diet high in salted, smoked foods and low in fruits and vegetables 
  • Eating foods that have not been prepared or stored properly 
  • Being older or male 
  • Smoking cigarettes 
  • Having a mother, father, sister or brother who has had stomach cancer

Stomach Cancer Signs & Symptoms

In the early stages of stomach cancer, the following symptoms may occur:

  • Indigestion and stomach discomfort
  • Feeling bloated after eating
  • Mild nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Heartburn

In more advanced stages of stomach cancer, you could experience:

  • Blood in the stool
  • Vomiting
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Stomach pain
  • Feeling of early fullness when eating
  • Problems digesting food

If you experience these symptoms and are concerned it could be cancer, talk to your primary care provider right away.

Stomach Cancer Treatments

Surgery allows doctors to remove the tumor, as well as some of the surrounding lymph nodes tissue if needed.  

Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing. 

Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down their growth and eliminate the disease.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Esophageal Cancer

The esophagus is the hollow, muscular tube that moves food and liquid from the throat to the stomach. The wall of the esophagus is made up of several layers of tissue, including mucous membranes, muscle and connective tissue. Esophageal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the esophagus, starting on the inside lining and spreading outward through the other layers. 

Download the esophageal cancer guide.

Esophageal Cancer Risk Factors

Many factors can determine the likelihood of developing esophageal cancer, including: 

  • Tobacco use 
  • Heavy alcohol consumption
  • Older age
  • Having Barret’s esophagus

Esophageal Cancer Signs & Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer include: 

  • Painful swallowing
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Weight loss
  • Pain behind the breastbone
  • Hoarseness and cough
  • Indigestion and heartburn
  • Bleeding or anemia

Since these can also be indicators of other conditions, check with your primary care provider so they can determine the cause.

Esophageal Cancer Treatments

Surgery allows doctors to remove the tumor, as well as some of the surrounding tissue if needed.

Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing.

Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down their growth and eliminate the disease.

Laser therapy uses a narrow beam of intense light to kill cancer cells.

Electrocoagulation uses an electric current to kill cancer cells.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Immunotherapy helps your body create more immune cells, which find and kill cancer cells.

Pancreatic Cancer

The pancreas is a gland about six inches long between the stomach and the spine. Its two main jobs in the body are to make enzymes that help digest food and to make hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, that help control blood sugar levels. When cells begin to grow uncontrollably in this area, you may be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 

Download the pancreatic cancer guide.

Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors

Many factors can determine the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer, including: 

  • Smoking
  • Being overweight or living with obesity
  • Having a personal history of diabetes or chronic pancreatitis
  • Having a family history of pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis
  • Having certain hereditary conditions, such as:
    • Lynch syndrome
    • Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome 
    • Peutz-Jeghers syndrome 
    • Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome 
    • Familial atypical multiple mole melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome

Pancreatic Cancer Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

  • Jaundice 
  • Light-colored stools 
  • Dark urine 
  • Pain in the upper or middle abdomen and back 
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Loss of appetite 
  • Feeling very tired

Pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose early because it doesn’t show many signs and symptoms early on and the organ itself is relatively hidden. 

If you think you may have pancreatic cancer, schedule and appointment with your primary care provider.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatments

Surgery allows doctors to remove the cancer as well as some of the surrounding tissue if needed.  

Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing. 

Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down their growth and eliminate the disease.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Immunotherapy helps your body create more immune cells, which find and kill cancer cells. 

Pain treatment goes beyond pain medication and can be delivered directly to the nerves in the abdomen to provide relief.