Blood/urine tests:

In order to check the functioning of various organ blood test is taken by the physician while the purpose of urine test is to detect protein, sugar, or other abnormalities.

Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan:

The three-dimensional images of inside body are created via an x-rays machine that is connected with a computer. The doctors evaluate these images to diagnose this cancer.  Sometimes a special dye is injected to the patient’s vein so that the better and contrast result can be attained.

Fecal occult blood test:

With the help of this test the doctors try to identify occult blood in the stool, the cause of which is the cancer of gastrointestinal tract. During this test the doctors placed a small amount of stool on a plastic slide or on a special paper for examining.

X-rays :

The doctor may use this technique to check whether GI tract cancer spread to other organs and areas or not. For this purpose, chest x-rays is administered if the cancer invaded the lungs.  The doctor may give the barium to the patient who swallow it and after  this substance outlines  the GI tract and doctors take the x-rays to determine whether this cancer has spread to esophagus or to stomach that are  upper  areas of GI tract. This test helps the doctors to check any kind of abnormalities or tumor.

Endoscopy:

A lighted, flexible tube named as gastroscope is inserted through the mouth to esophagus then to small bowel via stomach.  The doctor see  the inside area of body to find out any tumor growth.

Endoscopic ultrasound:

The procedure of this test is resembled with endoscopy. With the help of sound waves the doctors diagnose this cancer.   The tumor produces different echoes than that of normal organs therefore when the waves are bounced backed because of abnormalities, images are created. By checking these images physician will find out  a mass inside the body.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):

The detailed cross-sectional images are obtained with the mean of magnetic fields. Through MRI, the doctors try to know about the prevalence of gallbladder cancerous cells.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan:

In this test a small amount of radioactive substance is injected into the body. After some time this substance absorb in the tumor. With the mean of PET scanning the doctor scans the tissue and identifies the abnormalities.

Biopsy:

It includes the removal of a small tissue as a sample that is examined by pathologist for identification of extent and cause of gastrointestinal cancer.

For anyone who wonders as to what is gastrointestinal cancer and what is the cause of gastrointestinal cancer, here is the answer. There are actually many causes for the gastrointestinal cancer and the specific cause actually depends on the part of the body that is affected by cancer.

The most common cause of the gastrointestinal cancer is smoking. The smoke from the cigarette or other substances enters the body and causes permanent changes to the tissues that are present inside the body. The mutation and the destruction caused by the nicotine and the smoke itself can cause further damage to the body.

Other than the smoking, very high alcohol consumption is what causes gastrointestinal cancer. The reason for this is that when a person consumes alcohol in moderation, it can be beneficial, but when the person consumes a lot of alcohol, it causes a lot of toxicity to the body. The body recognizes the alcohol that is inside the body to be poison and creates immune response against the toxicity that damages the cells and leads to gastrointestinal cancer.

As like in many of the other cancers, the increasing age of the person is another major reason for gastrointestinal cancer symptoms to appear, when one thinks of what causes gastrointestinal cancer. Though the age of the person cannot be controlled, one can try to act against the detrimental effects of age in causing cancer.

The diet that is consumed by you is another factor when you think of what causes gastrointestinal cancer. If you consume a diet that is rich in animal fat, then it can lead a lot of fat stored in the body that can start causing damage to your body.

When one thinks of what causes gastrointestinal cancer, the other common factor that has been identified, as a cause is the presence of high salt in the food that has been poorly preserved.

One of the other important reasons for gastrointestinal cancer is the obesity that can occur. Though it is very difficult to control this condition, it has affected many people because of the lack of exercise and improper diet, but along with these, the obesity can also cause gastrointestinal cancer.

These are the various causes that have been found to be the reason behind the occurrence of gastrointestinal cancer, when one thinks of the reason behind what causes gastrointestinal cancer.

The person who is victim of gastrointestinal cancer may be suffered from some other forms of cancer that start in the digestive system of human body such as stomach cancer/gastric cancer, GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumors) , liver cancer/HCC/hepatoma/ hepatocellular carcinoma, gallbladder  cancer, pancreatic cancer,  anal cancer, esophageal cancer etc

The prognosis and diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer is varied among the different types of cancers like in the esophageal cancer’s prognosis is difficult as this cancer is detected late than that of other forms of gastrointestinal cancer. The risk of gastrointestinal carninoid tumor is increase as the time passes on and in this case the cancerous cells may spread in other part of digestive system. Like prognosis of esophageal cancer; the prognosis of pancreatic tumor cancer is very complicate and sign of cancer appear in the latter stage. In contrary to other from of gastrointestinal cancer ,the prognosis of colon cancer is quite easy so that early detection of cancer is possible.

The symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer are different among the various form of cancers .The common and probable symptoms of this cancer are smoking and excess use of alcohol, the diet containing the large amount of excess animal fat etc. The doctor recommends the patient to avoid excess smoking and alcoholic products and including vegetables and fruits extract in the routine diet. The diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer is completed with the help of CT scan and various tests that assist in exact situation of cancer.