Gastrointestinal cancer

Gastrointestinal cancer represents a heterogeneous complex array of disorders and diseases. They may be divided into rare inherited forms and more frequent sporadic forms. There is a critical interplay of genetic and environmental factors that foster the conversion of normal tissue to precursor, premalignant lesions, and eventually to frank malignancy. While it is apparent that certain genetic mechanisms are better appreciated in a cell-type and tissue-type specific context, there are nevertheless overarching shared features between gastrointestinal cancers of different origin. G.C. are the second most common type of cancer, if men and women are considered together. There is general consensus that most GC develop over a long period of time, presenting with an attractive opportunity for intervention and prevention if diagnosed early. Not surprisingly, there has been a steady decline in the incidence of several GC (e.g., colorectal and gastric cancers) as a result of implementation of various screening and diagnostic tools aimed at early detection of premalignant and early-stage cancers, thus improving survival. Since GC are diverse in etiology, the clinical management is also different. However, epithelial-based GC represent the preponderant form of gastrointestinal malignancies and most of these cancers would benefit from surgical resections. Keywords: gastrointestinal cancer, histopathology, cancer treatment, surgery, oncology, treatment complications, translational medicine, cutting edge technologies