What Is Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer?

Doctors classify cancer by where cancer cells first start growing. Gastrointestinal cancer is cancer that develops along the GI tract (also called the digestive tract). The GI tract starts at the esophagus (the tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach) and ends at the anus (where waste exits the body).

Primary GI cancer starts growing in the GI tract. Metastatic gastrointestinal cancers originate in the GI tract, but spread to the other parts of the body.

Types of GI Tract Cancers

If you have GI cancer, you’re in the best hands at Penn Medicine. Our team only treats cancers of the digestive system. Many of our doctors are national and international leaders in the field, renowned for their skill and experience.

We treat:

• Anal cancer
• Bile duct cancer
• Colon cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Gallbladder cancer
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors
• Liver cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Small intestine cancer
• Stomach (gastric) cancer

Symptoms

Many symptoms of stomach cancer are similar to less serious conditions, so it can be difficult to recognise in the early stages.

Early stage symptoms include:

• persistent indigestion
• trapped wind and frequent burping
• heartburn
• feeling full very quickly when eating
• feeling bloated after eating
• feeling sick
• pain in your stomach or breastbone
• difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• vomiting (the vomit may be streaked with blood), although this is uncommon in the early stages