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theijcs.com The IJCS / Vol 1 / Issue 1

An Overview of Gastrointestinal Cancers in India

Dr. Nazir Ahmad Khan
Department Of Radiation Oncology
Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar

Contributing Authors Affiliations:
N/A

Diagnosis of cancer has always brought in its wake feelings of misery, pain and helplessness. Heavy and often futile
expenditure. Diagnosis of cancers is considered to be one of the most feared diagnosis because despite advances in
technology and treatment, cancer is still thought to be life altering event. But it should not be forgotten that 2/3rd (70%)

of cancer burden is related to life style factors hence preventable. 1/3rd cancers (2 out of 5) are tobacco related and
others due to faulty diet habits and social habits .
Gastrointestinal cancers refers to malignant conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestions

including the esophagus, stomach, biliary system , pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. Cancer
of GI tract is one of the most common cause of cancer related death in India. Gastrointestinal cancers is the most
common form of cancer worldwide and continue to be among the top ten cancers in most of the parts of the country.

The most prevalent of GI cancers is colorectal cancer in the western world and gastric cancers in the eastern world. In
India esophageal cancer is highest in north eastern states. Gastric cancer is also common in north east and southern
states of Indian subcontinent .Gallbladder cancer is more common in northern India while as rectal cancer in

southerner India. Pancreatic cancer is low in India while as anal canal cancer is very rare.
Our patients with cancer generally have a poor prognosis, because of low awareness about symptoms, and treatment
.Patients usually present to doctor late. Symptoms of GI cancer vary depending on the type of cancer that may include

difficulty in swallowing, abdomen pain and discomfort, change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, bloating, loss of
appetite, nausea, vomiting, unusual weight loss, fatigue. The risk factors for various types of GI cancers include
smoking, alcohol consumption, high animal fat diet, high amount of salt intake, spicy diet, pickels, obesity, chronic

pancreatitis.
The lack of access to affordable curative services and the late diagnosis result into poor outcome of treatment. GI
cancers are complex diseases, each patient's cancer is different, behaving differently in the bodies they are in, and

thus need a tailored individual's treatment plan. Treatment for GI cancer will depend on the type of cancer, the stage or
its development, performance status, comorbidity conditions etc. Treatment commonly includes Surgery,
Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy.

Positive way forward should be to have multicentric randomized trials in GI cancers to have more robust inference,
which can be applied specifically to our population.

Corresponding Author
Dr. Nazir Ahmad Khan
Department Of Radiation Oncology
Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar

The Integrated Indian Journal of Cancer Sciences