What is gastrointestinal cancer?(back to top)
Gastrointestinal cancer affects the organs of the digestive system – including the esophagus, gallbladder, large intestine (colon), small intestine, liver, pancreas, stomach, anus and rectum.
How is gastrointestinal cancer diagnosed?(back to top)
When your physician suspects gastrointestinal cancer, he or she may recommend a series of diagnostic tests. These tests will vary depending on the symptoms presented. First, your doctor may order a physical exam and history. This will include an exam of the body to check general signs of health, including signs of disease, or anything that may seem unusual. He or she will also check a history of your health habits and past illnesses.
Your doctor may then order one or more of the following tests:
Complete blood count (CBC) - a procedure in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for the following:
- The number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
- The amount of hemoglobin (protein that carries oxygen) in the red blood cells.
- The portion of the sample made up of red blood cells.
In a blood chemistry study, a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released in the blood by organs and tissues in the body. A higher or lower than normal amount of a substance can be a sign of disease. A tumor marker (a substance sometimes found in the blood, other body fluids, or tissue) may indicate a tumor in that area.
Upper endoscopy - a procedure to look inside the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first part of the small intestine) to check for abnormal areas. An endoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is passed through the mouth and down the throat into the esophagus. To reduce pain and help you relax during the test, you may receive a pain medication and sedative through an intravenous (IV) line in your arm or hand.
Fecal occult blood test - a test to check stool (solid waste) for blood that can be seen only with a microscope.
Barium swallow - a series of x-rays of the esophagus and stomach. The patient drinks a liquid that contains barium (a silver-white metallic compound). The liquid coats the esophagus and stomach, and x-rays are taken. This procedure is also called an upper GI series.
Biopsy - the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
CT scan (CAT scan) - a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.
Colonoscopy - the procedure examines the colon with a flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope. A colonoscopy helps find ulcers, polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. During a colonoscopy, tissue samples can be collected (biopsy) and abnormal growths can be taken out. A colonoscopy can also be used as a screening test to check for cancer or precancerous growths (polyps) in the colon or rectum.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) - a special procedure for esophageal, rectal and anal cancer staging where doctors take images of the digestive tract and surrounding area.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (en-doh-SKAH-pik REH-troh-grayd koh-LAN-jee-oh-PANG-kree-uh-TAH-gruh-fee) - ERCP is used primarily to diagnose and treat conditions of the bile ducts, including gallstones, inflammatory strictures (scars), leaks (from trauma and surgery), and cancer. ERCP combines the use of x-rays and an endoscope, which is a long, flexible, lighted tube.
Through the endoscope, the physician can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), and inject dyes into the ducts in the biliary tree (the path by which bile is secreted by the liver on its way to the small intestine) and pancreas so they can be seen on x-rays.
Gastrointestinal treatment options(back to top)
Your treatment plan will depend on the location of your tumor, the stage of the cancer, your age, and your general health. Whatever treatment plan your physician specifies, you will have the resources of Brown Cancer Center’s state-of-the-art technology and most advanced methods of treatment. Treatment options may include one or a combination of the following:
Surgery
Surgery to remove your tumor and some of the tissue around it can sometimes be performed. This procedure reduces the chance that the cancer will remain in your body. The type of surgery performed depends on the size and location of the tumor. In some cases, the tumor may be removed or treated using an advanced minimally invasive technique utilizing the da Vinci Si Surgical System. Some tumors cannot be removed surgically because of their size or location, and some patients cannot have surgery for other medical reasons. For gastrointestinal tumors, one of the following surgical procedures may be performed:
- Fulguration - use of an electric current to burn away the tumor.
- Cryosurgery - a treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
- Resection - surgery to remove part or all of an organ that contains cancer.
- Radio Frequency Ablation - the use of a special probe with tiny electrodes that release high-energy radio waves (similar to microwaves) that kill cancer cells.
The da Vinci Si Surgical System allows University of Louisville surgeons to provide minimally invasive surgical treatments for some patients with colorectal cancers or benign tumors.
For most patients, da Vinci Si offers numerous benefits over open surgery including:
- Better clinical outcomes for cancer control in many cases
- Quicker return to bowel function
- Quicker return to a normal diet
- Significantly less pain
- Less blood loss
- Less risk of wound infection
- Shorter hospital stay
- Shorter recovery time
To learn more about the da Vinci Si Surgical system at University of Louisville Hospital, click here.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, which is also called radiotherapy, uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Before you undergo radiation, a radiation oncologist and physicist plan the precise delivery of the radiation to minimize radiation to your vital organs and maximize the radiation to the affected area.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. Chemotherapy may be recommended to kill any remaining cancer cells following surgery, or to control cancer growth and relieve symptoms. Most chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously or by catheter.
Target Therapy
Target therapy is a process of stopping the development of a new blood vessel from forming in the cancer cells. It also blocks substances needed to slow down the growth of the tumor. This therapy is used primarily for the treatment of colon and rectal cancers - although it is also used to treat some pancreatic and liver cancers.
Clinical Trials and Research(back to top)
In addition to using the most advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment, the Brown Cancer Center is constantly examining new approaches to cancer treatment. Brown Cancer Center physicians participate in and initiate a wide range of ongoing clinical trials and research, giving you access to new therapies that may not yet be available in other parts of the world.
If you have general questions about your condition, the Brown Cancer Center, or free services available to you and your loved ones, please contact the Mint Jubilee Resource Center at 502.562.4158 or 866.530.5516.
What is gastrointestinal cancer?(back to top)
Gastrointestinal cancer affects the organs of the digestive system – including the esophagus, gallbladder, large intestine (colon), small intestine, liver, pancreas, stomach, anus and rectum.
How is gastrointestinal cancer diagnosed?(back to top)
When your physician suspects gastrointestinal cancer, he or she may recommend a series of diagnostic tests. These tests will vary depending on the symptoms presented. First, your doctor may order a physical exam and history. This will include an exam of the body to check general signs of health, including signs of disease, or anything that may seem unusual. He or she will also check a history of your health habits and past illnesses.
Your doctor may then order one or more of the following tests:
Complete blood count (CBC) - a procedure in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for the following:
- The number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
- The amount of hemoglobin (protein that carries oxygen) in the red blood cells.
- The portion of the sample made up of red blood cells.
In a blood chemistry study, a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released in the blood by organs and tissues in the body. A higher or lower than normal amount of a substance can be a sign of disease. A tumor marker (a substance sometimes found in the blood, other body fluids, or tissue) may indicate a tumor in that area.
Upper endoscopy - a procedure to look inside the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first part of the small intestine) to check for abnormal areas. An endoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is passed through the mouth and down the throat into the esophagus. To reduce pain and help you relax during the test, you may receive a pain medication and sedative through an intravenous (IV) line in your arm or hand.
Fecal occult blood test - a test to check stool (solid waste) for blood that can be seen only with a microscope.
Barium swallow - a series of x-rays of the esophagus and stomach. The patient drinks a liquid that contains barium (a silver-white metallic compound). The liquid coats the esophagus and stomach, and x-rays are taken. This procedure is also called an upper GI series.
Biopsy - the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
CT scan (CAT scan) - a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.
Colonoscopy - the procedure examines the colon with a flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope. A colonoscopy helps find ulcers, polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. During a colonoscopy, tissue samples can be collected (biopsy) and abnormal growths can be taken out. A colonoscopy can also be used as a screening test to check for cancer or precancerous growths (polyps) in the colon or rectum.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) - a special procedure for esophageal, rectal and anal cancer staging where doctors take images of the digestive tract and surrounding area.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (en-doh-SKAH-pik REH-troh-grayd koh-LAN-jee-oh-PANG-kree-uh-TAH-gruh-fee) - ERCP is used primarily to diagnose and treat conditions of the bile ducts, including gallstones, inflammatory strictures (scars), leaks (from trauma and surgery), and cancer. ERCP combines the use of x-rays and an endoscope, which is a long, flexible, lighted tube.
Through the endoscope, the physician can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), and inject dyes into the ducts in the biliary tree (the path by which bile is secreted by the liver on its way to the small intestine) and pancreas so they can be seen on x-rays.
Gastrointestinal treatment options(back to top)
Your treatment plan will depend on the location of your tumor, the stage of the cancer, your age, and your general health. Whatever treatment plan your physician specifies, you will have the resources of Brown Cancer Center’s state-of-the-art technology and most advanced methods of treatment. Treatment options may include one or a combination of the following:
Surgery
Surgery to remove your tumor and some of the tissue around it can sometimes be performed. This procedure reduces the chance that the cancer will remain in your body. The type of surgery performed depends on the size and location of the tumor. In some cases, the tumor may be removed or treated using an advanced minimally invasive technique utilizing the da Vinci Si Surgical System. Some tumors cannot be removed surgically because of their size or location, and some patients cannot have surgery for other medical reasons. For gastrointestinal tumors, one of the following surgical procedures may be performed:
- Fulguration - use of an electric current to burn away the tumor.
- Cryosurgery - a treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
- Resection - surgery to remove part or all of an organ that contains cancer.
- Radio Frequency Ablation - the use of a special probe with tiny electrodes that release high-energy radio waves (similar to microwaves) that kill cancer cells.
The da Vinci Si Surgical System allows University of Louisville surgeons to provide minimally invasive surgical treatments for some patients with colorectal cancers or benign tumors.
For most patients, da Vinci Si offers numerous benefits over open surgery including:
- Better clinical outcomes for cancer control in many cases
- Quicker return to bowel function
- Quicker return to a normal diet
- Significantly less pain
- Less blood loss
- Less risk of wound infection
- Shorter hospital stay
- Shorter recovery time
To learn more about the da Vinci Si Surgical system at University of Louisville Hospital, click here.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, which is also called radiotherapy, uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Before you undergo radiation, a radiation oncologist and physicist plan the precise delivery of the radiation to minimize radiation to your vital organs and maximize the radiation to the affected area.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. Chemotherapy may be recommended to kill any remaining cancer cells following surgery, or to control cancer growth and relieve symptoms. Most chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously or by catheter.
Target Therapy
Target therapy is a process of stopping the development of a new blood vessel from forming in the cancer cells. It also blocks substances needed to slow down the growth of the tumor. This therapy is used primarily for the treatment of colon and rectal cancers - although it is also used to treat some pancreatic and liver cancers.
Clinical Trials and Research(back to top)
In addition to using the most advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment, the Brown Cancer Center is constantly examining new approaches to cancer treatment. Brown Cancer Center physicians participate in and initiate a wide range of ongoing clinical trials and research, giving you access to new therapies that may not yet be available in other parts of the world.
If you have general questions about your condition, the Brown Cancer Center, or free services available to you and your loved ones, please contact the Mint Jubilee Resource Center at 502.562.4158 or 866.530.5516.