Cancer Specialist

What is cancer?

Cancer starts when body cells escape the signals that regulate their growth and outnumber the healthy cells in an organ or body part. Cancer can happen anywhere in the body. It is estimated that about one in every three people in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetime.

What are gastrointestinal cancers?

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers encompass all of the cancers of our digestive tract, including:

• Oesophageal
• Liver and gallbladder
• Stomach and pancreas   
• Small intestines, colon, and rectum

How do you know you have gastrointestinal cancer?

A  GI cancer is usually diagnosed by physical examination, lab, and imaging results, and is confirmed by tissue sampling done by your physician. Some tumors may not cause any symptoms until they are very late-stage, and some are diagnosed during a screening examination. Some of the symptoms that should alert you to contact your physician are:

• Fatigue and anemia
• Unexplained weight loss
• Abdominal pain
• Change in bowel habits
• Bloody or tarry stools
• Rectal bleeding
• Lump in abdomen

How is GI cancer treated?

Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are the three main cornerstones of cancer treatment. Your colorectal surgeon, Dr. Saenz, evaluates your case and goes over the pros and cons of each treatment type. Based on your general condition, the type and stage of cancer, and treatment goals, he may recommend all three modalities or only surgery.  

Can GI and colorectal cancer be prevented?

There is no absolute way to prevent cancer, but you can do things that help reduce your risk of getting cancer. Dr. Saenz believes that education plays a critical role in keeping patients informed about risk factors, causes, and prevention of the disease. Some important things you should be aware of are:

Know about your genes

Gene mutations that cause some form of colon cancer run in families. If you know about your family history of cancer, get genetic testing done and begin screening to catch the disease early.

Know the risk factors

Increasing age, a low-fiber and high-fat diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, and alcohol all put you at increased risk of getting colon cancer

Undergo regular screening

Several options exist for colorectal cancer screening, such as stool-based tests, CT imaging, and colonoscopy. Dr. Saenz offers colonoscopy screening regularly at his office.  

If you have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer or are worried about the chances of it happening to you, call Dr. Saenz’s office today.