ABSTRACT

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are the most common cancers in Europe and the United States and represent a major public health problem worldwide. Recent advances have increased the complexity of the management of GI cancer and many GI cancers now require a multimodality approach to treatment. The multidisciplinary team-comprising of medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, gastroenterologists, pathologists, specialist nurses, and pharmacists-has therefore become imperative when determining optimal management. For medical oncologists, considerable progress has been made not only in refining the delivery of chemotherapy, but also in establishing a role for molecular targeted therapies in the treatment of many GI malignancies. Treatment paradigms, of course, continue to evolve, facilitated by participation in clinical trials that should be encouraged. This chapter summarizes current oncological practice in the treatment of GI cancers.