Patients from 105+ countries have trusted us
Join hundreds of happy patients who choose the right treatment and care.
Get A QuoteGastrointestinal Cancer Treatments in India
Gastrointestinal Cancer
- Days In Hospital 5 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 21 days
- Success Rate %
Minimum Cost
$ 3000
Maximum Cost.
$ 10000
Overview of Gastrointestinal Cancer in India
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers refer to a group of cancers affecting your digestive system. Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers refer to a group of cancers affecting your digestive system. It's a malignant disease of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) and the accessory organs of digestion. This includes cancer of the Oesophagus; Gallbladder & Biliary Tract; Liver; Pancreas; Stomach; Small Intestine; Bowel (Large Intestine or Colon and Rectum) and Anus.
Gastrointestinal Cancers (GI) are one of the most common types of cancer, and they can develop in both men and women. It is a complicated disease because each person's cancer will behave differently based on the individual's body. As long as GI cancer is found early enough in its course, it can be cured.
Depending on the type, extent, stage, progression, and other medical conditions, there are many treatment options available for each patient diagnosed with GI cancer.
What Is Gastrointestinal Cancer?
The gastrointestinal system (GIT) includes many organs responsible for the breakdown and absorption of food, as well as the removal of waste products. The GIT contains the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large bowel, colon, rectum, and anus. Other organs involved in the digestion of food include the pancreas and liver.
Each organ in the GIT contains different types of cells, such as mucus-secreting, glandular, neuroendocrine, and epithelial cells, which are crucial to the proper functioning of various organs in the GIT.
Because of genetic mutations in one or more types of cells in the GIT, those cells may not properly divide but rather proliferate uncontrollably, resulting in a neoplasm or tumour. If a tumour is not diagnosed early and treated properly, then it will continue to grow and can metastasise or spread to other organs of the GIT, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body, such as the lungs or bones (bone tissue).
The GIT also has two types of cancer: primary and metastatic. Primary GIT cancers arise in the GIT, and metastatic GIT cancers arise in another part of the body and spread to one or more parts of the GIT.
Types of Gastrointestinal Cancer:
GI cancers receive their classification based on the specific organs that serve as their origin points. The following are the different types of gastrointestinal tumors:
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the term used for colon and rectal cancer. The different types of bowel cancers exist because the disease starts at either the colon or the rectum. The early stage of colorectal cancer is the presence of polyps in the rectum or colon.
Esophageal Cancer
The esophagus is a long tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. The majority of patients develop esophageal cancer at advanced stages because the disease neither shows signs nor its symptoms appear similar to those of common diseases.
Gastric (Stomach) Cancer
Stomach or gastric cancer starts in the stomach. Stomach cancer can develop in any region of the stomach. Although there has been a significant reduction in the incidence of stomach cancer in the past couple of decades, it is still one of the most common cancers.
Pancreatic Cancer
The pancreas functions as a digestive organ situated behind the stomach to produce pancreatic fluid for digestion. The pancreas produces hormones that control blood sugar levels. The development of pancreatic cancer occurs when pancreatic cells continue to multiply without control.
Anal Cancer
The anal canal is located at the rectum's termination point, where the body eliminates its stool through this passage. Anal cancer arises when anal cells begin to grow without control and multiply at an accelerated rate. Patients with anal cancer show three main symptoms, which include anal pain, rectal bleeding and itching.
Liver Cancer
The liver functions as the body's largest internal organ, which carries out its vital functions. The liver contains multiple cell types that make up its structure. The development of liver cancer occurs when cells from these cell types start to grow and multiply without any control.
Small intestinal cancer
Small intestinal cancer develops when cancerous cells form in the small intestine. The condition is also called small bowel cancer. Small intestinal cancer, which accounts for 3 percent of total gastrointestinal cancers, exists as a rare medical condition.
Procedure:
The treatment for gastrointestinal cancers will vary according to the cancer type, stage, and the patient’s health. There are a number of types of GI cancers. These include colon cancer, rectal cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer. Treatment could involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of these treatment types.
Surgery
The surgery method used for gastrointestinal cancer treatment requires doctors to select surgical techniques based on the specific cancer type and its current progression stage. Surgical procedures exist for three primary purposes which include cancer elimination, symptom relief and cancer progression prevention.
Commonly Prescribed Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgeries
Colectomy: This is a surgical procedure that involves removing either complete or partial sections of the colon to treat patients with colon cancer.
Gastrectomy: This surgical procedure involves removing all or a portion of the stomach to treat patients with stomach cancer.
Esophagectomy: This surgical procedure requires the complete or partial removal of the oesophagus to treat esophageal cancer.
Whipple Procedure: This surgical procedure involves removing the pancreatic head along with the gall bladder and a section of the small intestine. This procedure operates as a treatment method for pancreatic cancer, distal bile duct cancer, and duodenal cancer.
Liver Resection: The surgical procedure involves removing a section of the liver, which doctors use to treat liver cancer cases.
Radical Cholecystectomy: This surgical procedure requires the complete removal of the gallbladder to treat patients who have gallbladder cancer.
Colostomy or ileostomy: A surgeon establishes an abdominal opening to create a new waste disposal route when they execute colon or rectal removal surgery. This is referred to as a colostomy or ileostomy.
Surgical Techniques to Treat Gastrointestinal Cancer
The choice of surgical approach depends on the specific cancer type and its current development stage. Three primary surgical methods exist for treating gastrointestinal cancer, which include open surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and robotic surgery.
Open Surgery: The open surgery procedure requires doctors to create a big stomach cut which allows them to reach and treat cancerous tissue. The traditional surgical approach continues to function as the primary method that doctors use to treat gastrointestinal cancer. The surgeon can excise all cancerous tissue together with adjacent lymph nodes and blood vessels. Doctors use open surgery when patients have advanced cancers or when tumours exceed the limits of other surgical approaches.
Laparoscopic Surgery: The laparoscopic surgery method, which doctors call minimally invasive surgery, uses multiple small abdominal cuts to perform its procedures. Through one of the incisions, doctors place a laparoscope, which consists of a thin tube that contains a camera and a light source. The surgeon uses the images from the laparoscope to guide the surgical instruments to remove the cancerous tissue. Laparoscopic surgery enables patients to recover faster while experiencing fewer medical problems in comparison to open surgery.
Robotic Surgery: The surgery process uses robotic arms that operate according to the surgeon's commands from a console to conduct procedures. The console allows the surgeon to handle robotic arms, which provides him with an exact and secure workspace to perform surgery. Robotic surgery enables surgeons to conduct advanced gastrointestinal operations, which result in faster patient recovery and reduced pain after surgery compared to open surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the employment of medications to either eradicate cancer cells or prevent their growth. It can be administered orally, intravenously, or in combination with both. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are frequently used in tandem.
Radiation Therapy
High-energy radiation is used in radiation therapy to harm cancer cells. It is frequently used in conjunction with chemotherapy and surgery and can be administered topically or internally.
Immunotherapy
It is a kind of cancer treatment that boosts the immune system to combat the disease. It functions by strengthening the immune system's capacity to identify and combat cancer cells.
Targeted therapy
A form of cancer treatment known as "targeted therapy" uses medications to target particular molecules or proteins that are important in the development and metastasis of cancer cells.
Best Doctors in India
Cost of Gastrointestinal Cancer in India
Depending on the type of cancer, its stage, the treatment mode used, and the hospital or specialist, the cost of treating gastrointestinal cancer in India can range from about $8000 to $10,000 or more.
Prices for Different Types of Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer in India
|
Type of Treatment |
Cost (USD) |
|
Colon Cancer Surgery |
$3,000 – $5,000 |
|
Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Surgery |
$3,500 – $6,000 |
|
Esophageal Cancer Surgery |
$4,000 – $7,000 |
|
Liver Cancer Surgery (Liver Resection, TACE, etc.) |
$5,000 – $10,000 |
|
Pancreatic Cancer Surgery (e.g., Whipple Procedure) |
$6,000 – $10,000 |
|
Chemotherapy (Per Cycle) |
$300 – $800 |
|
Targeted Therapy (Per Session) |
$1,000 – $2,500 |
|
Radiation Therapy (Complete Cycle) |
$2,000 – $4,500 |
|
Robotic GI Cancer Surgery |
$6,000 – $12,000 |
|
Diagnostic Tests & Biopsy |
$300 – $800 |
Top Hospitals in India
Indications of Gastrointestinal Cancer:
Different patients with gastrointestinal cancer can show diverse symptoms. Some might not have any early signs, while others will. Besides, these symptoms can also differ based on the type of GI cancer. Normally, digestive cancer symptoms include the following:
Abdominal Pain
For instance, unexplained abdominal pain is a symptom that cancer patients often experience. The type of abdominal pain caused by cancer can be quite stubborn and doesn't usually respond to medications. Even though abdominal pain could be caused by a variety of less serious conditions, it is still advisable to get a thorough examination in case of the more serious ones.
Nausea
Nausea is generally one of the first signs of GI cancer. It happens when the tumor blocks the passage of food, liquid, or gas. The blockage may also lead to symptoms like constipation, bloating, and pain in the abdomen.
Vomiting
Gastrointestinal cancer symptoms include vomiting as well. It can be the result of blockage in the stomach in case of stomach cancer, and constipation that lasts too long in colorectal cancer. Besides that, treatment of cancer in the digestive system can also be a cause of vomiting.
Less Appetite
A decrease in appetite can be one of the effects of gastrointestinal cancer. Reduced appetite can be caused by various physical and mental factors. Physical factors are things like indigestion, stomach pain and constipation. On the other hand, mental factors can be depression and stress. To find out exactly what is causing the loss of appetite, it is necessary to get a consultation from a doctor.
Heartburn or Indigestion
Gastrointestinal cancer patients who have cancer of the stomach and esophagus are the ones who mainly suffer from heartburn as a result of acid reflux. Heartburn could also be due to the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.
Weight Loss
Apart from diminished appetite, an increase in stress levels, and depression, there are also other factors that lead to weight loss. The report shows that nearly 80 percent of the cases of weight loss occur in esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and stomach cancer before the diagnosis.
Blood in Your Stools or Black Stools
One of the signs of gastrointestinal cancer is either black stools or blood in the stool. Bright red blood mixed with stool could mean that the cancer is either anal or colorectal, while looking at the black and tarry stools can show that there is a case of stomach cancer.
Indigestion
Long-lasting indigestion and burping are symptoms of a gastrointestinal cancer patient. Due to indigestion, patients suffer from nausea, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and heartburn.
Risk Factors:
Some of the most common gastrointestinal cancer risk factors include:
Age
Cancer can happen at any age, but the risk of stomach cancer tends to be highest from ages 50 to 70. The same is true for esophageal cancer, where the majority of diagnoses take place in that same age range (ages 45-70). However, there is evidence that those diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma are more likely to be under 50; it may just be because of the delayed nature of the disease. For colon cancer, the mean age of diagnosis for females is 72 and for males is 68, and the prevalence of colon cancer is greater for individuals aged 50 and above.
Gender
The role of gender is also significant in the development of multiple types of gastrointestinal cancer. Men are reported to have double the risk of stomach cancer compared to women. One explanation for this difference is due to the estrogen found in females, which appears to play a role in providing some protective mechanisms against H. pylori infection (a major contributing factor to stomach cancer). Men are nearly 4-5 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than women. Colon cancer also occurs more frequently in men than in women. Additionally, there is a higher incidence of right-sided colon cancer in females as opposed to male patients.
Personal History
The risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer is influenced by the patient's medical history. For example, patients who have a long-standing, underlying medical condition (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, or H. pylori infection), will have an increased risk of developing stomach cancer. In addition, gastroesophageal reflux disease, a previous history of head and neck cancer, Barrett's esophagus, being overweight, and having an HPV infection will all increase a person's risk for developing esophageal cancer. Patients' obesity, smoking habits, and inflammatory conditions in the colon all increase a person's risk for developing colon cancer.
Family History
Having a family history of gastrointestinal cancer also increases your risk of developing this disease. If your immediate relatives (parents) had esophageal, gastric, or colorectal cancer, then you are at a greater risk of getting these cancers. If you have family members with one of these syndromes (Lynch syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome or Sbobet polyposis syndrome), then you are also at greater risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer.
Diet
Diet is also very important when determining if someone will develop gastrointestinal cancer. The way food directly affects the tissues of the GIT organs is that certain foods, such as those that contain large amounts of salt, smoke, or saturated fats, will contribute to an increased risk of developing stomach cancers. Eating a lot of refined starches and red meat on a daily basis will contribute to a greater chance of developing colorectal cancer.
Obesity
People who are overweight or obese face increased chances of developing multiple gastrointestinal cancer types, which include esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer and anal cancer. The condition exists because obesity establishes a state of persistent low-grade inflammation together with metabolic changes that impair insulin signalling.
Tobacco and Alcohol Use
There is an association between smoking and the development of gastrointestinal cancers. The carcinogenic power of smoking increases when people consume alcohol together with tobacco products.
Inflammatory conditions
Chronic inflammatory conditions that affect the esophagus, stomach and large intestine raise the risk for developing gastrointestinal cancers. Inflammatory bowel disease patients face an elevated risk for developing colorectal cancer.