Clinical trials play an important role in improving cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. For some patients, taking part may offer access to new therapies that are not yet widely available. Your care team can help determine whether a clinical trial may be an option and explain what participation involves.
What are Gastrointestinal Cancers?
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers affect the organs of the digestive system, which help your body break down food and absorb nutrients. These cancers can develop anywhere along the digestive tract, including the:
GI cancers occur when cells in these organs grow and divide in abnormal ways. Over time, this can form tumors that interfere with digestion and overall health.
Some GI cancers are linked to age, family history or chronic digestive conditions, while others develop without a clear cause. Specialists at LifeBridge Health’s Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute and William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center provide coordinated, team-based care to diagnose and treat the full range of GI cancers.
Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Cancers
Symptoms can vary depending on the location of the cancer, but many GI cancers share common warning signs. These may include:
- Ongoing abdominal (belly) pain or discomfort
- Changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool
- Blood in the stool or dark, tarry stools
- Difficulty swallowing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue or weakness
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), especially with liver or bile duct cancers
If you notice persistent or unusual changes, it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider.
How Gastrointestinal Cancers are Diagnosed
If a GI cancer is suspected, your care team uses a combination of tests to confirm a diagnosis and guide care.
Physical Exam
Your provider reviews your symptoms, medical history and overall health and may check for signs such as tenderness, swelling or visible changes.
Endoscopic Procedures
These tests use a thin, flexible tube with a camera to look inside the digestive tract and identify abnormal areas. Depending on your symptoms, this may include:
- Upper endoscopy: Examines the esophagus, stomach and small intestine
- Colonoscopy: Examines the colon and rectum
- Sigmoidoscopy: Examines the lower part of the colon
- Anoscopy: Examines the anal canal
Biopsy
If an abnormal area is found, a small sample of tissue is removed and tested for cancer cells. This is critical for confirming a diagnosis.
Imaging Tests
Imaging provides a more complete view of the digestive system and helps determine if cancer is present, whether it has spread and whether it is causing complications such as blockages. Your care team may recommend:
- CT (computed tomography)
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- Ultrasound
- PET scan
- Barium swallow
Blood Tests
While blood tests cannot diagnose cancer on their own, they can help assess organ function and provide important information to support diagnosis and treatment planning.
Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancers
At LifeBridge Health, care for gastrointestinal cancers is coordinated by a team that includes surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and supportive care specialists. Through our tumor board and multidisciplinary clinic, these specialists work together to review each case and create a unified treatment plan.
Depending on your diagnosis, overall health and goals for care, this plan may include:
Surgery
Surgery is often used to remove tumors and, in some cases, nearby tissue or lymph nodes. It may be the primary treatment for many early-stage GI cancers.
Endoscopic Treatments
For certain early-stage cancers, endoscopic procedures allow specialists to remove or treat abnormal tissue from inside the digestive tract without the need for traditional surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. It may be used alone or combined with other treatments to shrink tumors, reduce the risk of recurrence or relieve symptoms.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to target and destroy cancer cells. Advanced approaches, including 4D CT imaging and gated delivery, help account for normal movement in the body—such as breathing—so treatment can be delivered more precisely while limiting exposure to healthy tissue.
Immunotherapy
Certain GI cancers respond to immunotherapy, which uses medication to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy focuses on specific parts of cancer cells that help them grow. This approach helps limit damage to healthy tissue.
Hepatic Arterial Infusion (HAI)
For some patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver, HAI pump therapy may be an option. This treatment delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver, allowing for higher doses to the tumor while limiting exposure to the rest of the body.
LifeBridge Health partners with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins to provide this treatment. The pump is surgically placed at those centers, and ongoing infusions are provided locally.
Clinical Trials
Supportive Services
When you receive cancer care at LifeBridge Health, you have access to supportive services like counseling, integrative therapies and support groups. These resources are designed to help patients care for their physical and emotional well‑being throughout treatment and beyond.