ABSTRACT
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a family of diseases in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the digestive or GI system. Malignancies of the upper GI tract have the worst prognosis of solid tumor malignancies of the entire GI system. This chapter discusses esophageal, stomach, and pancreatic cancers and treatment. There are two types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Esophageal cancer presents primarily with dysphagia, but may include increased saliva production, chest pain, hoarseness, chronic cough, hiccups, pneumonia bone pain, and bleeding in the esophagus. Many nutrition-related side effects exist for patients treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery for esophageal cancer. According to predictions from American Cancer Society (ACS), approximately 21,600 cases of gastric cancer will be diagnosed in 2013 of which the majority of cases will consist of adenocarcinoma. Exocrine tumors are most common type of pancreatic cancer, with adenocarcinoma ranking among the most difficult cancers to treat coupled with very low 5-year survival rates.
