Grabovac, I; Smith, L; Jackson, S; Yang, L; (2020) Gastrointestinal Cancer. In: Rattan, S, (ed.) Encyclopedia of Biomedical Gerontology. (pp. 128-135). Elsevier: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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Abstract

This article summarizes the literature surrounding gastrointestinal cancer including etiology, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship in older people. Gastrointestinal cancer is an umbrella term for a collection of cancers that affect the digestive system. There are 10 gastrointestinal cancers, including: esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, small bowel cancer, liver cancer, gallbladder and biliary tract cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, colorectal cancer, and anal cancer. While gastrointestinal cancer occurs commonly worldwide, the prevalence of the different types of gastrointestinal cancers differs widely, with colorectal and liver cancers the most prevalent and gastrointestinal stromal tumors very rare. A key risk factor for all gastrointestinal cancers is increasing age. Screening programs are in place in some countries for colorectal cancer for older adults, but none exist for any of the other nine gastrointestinal cancers. There is an advanced knowledge and understanding in the diagnosis and treatment of all gastrointestinal cancers. Recommendations are in place to improve the mental and physical health of gastrointestinal cancer survivors through lifestyle modification. However, there is a need for further research using a gold standard experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for cancer survivors.

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