GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES

WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES?

In the early stages, gastrointestinal cancer (GI cancer) may not cause any symptoms. It is hard to feel GI tumours as they develop. GI cancers are normally identified in screenings before experiencing any symptoms. In some cases, GI cancers may be diagnosed when they have advanced to the point of causing more serious symptoms.

GI cancers may cause symptoms like:

• Bloody or very dark stool
• Abdominal cramping or pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in bowel habits like diarrhoea, constipation or changes in consistency or narrowing of the stool.
• Digestive problems
• Difficulty swallowing
• Swelling in the abdomen
• Tiredness, weakness, weight loss, or loss of appetite
• Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)

Gastrointestinal cancers occur when the cells lining the organs in the digestive tract begin to mutate and grow, resulting in the formation of tumours and sometimes spreading to the lymph nodes and other organs. Cell damage may increase the risk of abnormalities and may be due to infections, smoking, obesity, and some environmental risk factors.

Different types of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer affect the organs of the digestive tract. These may include:

• Liver cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Anal cancer
• Colon cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Oesophagal cancer
• Small intestine cancer
• Gallbladder cancer
• Stomach cancer (gastric cancer)

GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES TREATMENT

Gastrointestinal cancer treatment depends entirely on the location of the cancer, its stage and its aggressiveness. Depending on your overall health and preferences, your treatment plan may include the following:

• Surgery to remove all cancer as well as some of the healthy surrounding tissue.
• Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that involves the use of chemicals to kill cancer
• Radiation therapy involves the use of high-powered beams of energy like protons and x-rays to kill cancer
• Targeted drug therapy focuses on specific weaknesses within the cancer cells, causing cancer cells to die.
• Holistic care helps ease some of these problems and also helps improve your well-being too.