Gastrointestinal Cancers

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth deadliest cancer in the U.S. while ranking Ninth in terms of incidence. In the state of Alabama alone, over 500 patients die of pancreatic cancer each year (mortality rate is only surpassed by lung, colorectal and breast cancer). Almost irrespective of clinical presentation however, the prognosis is often poor, and systemic therapeutic modalities have very limited efficacy. In comparison with colorectal cancer, breast cancer and many lung cancers, long-term survival approaches merely 5%, regardless of therapeutic interventions. Complete surgical resection, when performed safely in large-volume center, remains the best treatment option for pancreatic cancer patients. With approximately 35,000 new diagnoses and deaths per year in the U.S. only a fraction of those patients (15-20%) are candidates for surgical treatment. Median survival of patients who undergo pancreatic resection is 18-14 months and the vast majority of patients succumb to metastatic disease. This has led to the study of molecular targeting therapy with the hope of improving response to traditional therapeutic approaches.

For more information please visit:

• MayoClinic.com
• National Cancer Institute
• University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center
• Lustgarten Foundation
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, and the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. In Alabama alone, over 900 patients die of colorectal cancer each year (this mortality rate is surpassed only by lung cancer). Most colon cancers are cancers that begin in the cells of the colon, rectum, or appendix, which make and release mucus and other fluids, and can take many years to develop. Early detection greatly improves the chances of survival.

For more information please visit:

• GI Cancer Conditions
• Colon and Rectal Cancer
• Anal Cancer
• Bile Duct Cancer