Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers
GI cancers arise from the digestive system and include organs like the food pipe (esophagus), stomach, gall bladder, bile duct, liver, pancreas, small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum) and large intestines (colon and rectum).
Symptoms of GI Cancers
Signs and symptoms can vary depending on the location of the cancer within the digestive tract. Some common symptoms include:
- Difficulty swallowing food
- Blood in sputum
- Blood in vomit / brown colored vomiting
- Repeated vomiting
- Repeated heartburn / dyspepsia
- Unexplained weight loss
- Generalized weakness / Unexplained low Hb
- Early satiety / fullness after eating
- Jaundice / yellowish discoloration of eyes
- Change in stool habits - frequency or consistency of stools
- Blood in stools / black colored stools
- Swelling / Distension of abdomen
- Unable to pass stools /flatus
- Any lump in abdome
If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a GI cancer expert as soon as possible.
What investigations will be done to diagnose and treat GI cancers?
Your symptoms and complaints will be discussed and then, a physical examination will be done. Tests are done to formulate a treatment plan, these help us to ascertain the type of cancer and extent of disease. These are blood tests, endoscopy or colonoscopy, Imaging tests (like CT scan, MRI or PETCT – depending on what you need). A tissue biopsy may also be required.
The treatments available for treating GI cancers are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A combination of these treatments is sometimes required. A team of GI surgical oncologist, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist along with expert radiologist and pathologist (Tumor Board) sit together and decide the best treatment plan for you.
Is key hole surgery possible for GI cancers?
Key hole surgeries (laparoscopic and robotic) have with good outcomes in GI cancer surgeries if done by a well-trained experienced cancer surgeon. The general advantage of these surgeries as compared to open surgery include lesser pain, small scars on abdomen, early resumption of normal activities and with regards to pelvic surgeries they provide distinct advantage of better vision, better reach in pelvis, better instrumentation in order to perform a successful operation.
Is there any advantage of robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery has distinct advantage in performing pelvic surgeries namely rectum (distal most part of large intestine) cancer surgeries. The latest Robotic surgery systems can overcome the limitations of laparoscopy by improving surgical precision using wristed instruments with seven degrees of freedom (wrist like movement) and stable three-dimensional (3D) visualization for procedures deep down in pelvis while performing rectal cancer surgeries and allows us to preserve the anal sphincter (avoiding permanent stoma bag) in well selected cases; preserve nerves which supply the pelvic organs which can possible allow these patients to have a good postoperative urinary and sexual function.
