• Gastrointestinal cancer is cancer of the organs of the digestive system.
• Gastrointestinal cancer includes cancer of the pancreas, liver, stomach, colon, esophagus, gallbladder, small intestine and rectum.
• The estimated number of new gastrointestinal cancer cases totals more than 250,000 annually.
• The estimated number of deaths from gastrointestinal cancer totals more than 100, 000 annually.
• Gastrointestinal cancer cells in the digestive system can spread to nearby lymph glands and organs.
• Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women.
• Gastric cancer ranks as the 14th most common cancer in the world today.

It should be noted that the majority of gastrointestinal cancers develop without any predisposing cause. In other words, there is no apparent cause and effect relationship with gastric cancers and any known risk factors.

It should also be noted that the United States has not established any programs for primary prevention of gastric cancers.

The United States currently has no plans to initiate screening programs for the detection and prevention of gastrointestinal cancers.

Independent studies have verified that blood tests could be used to screen for gastric cancer. The United States has not yet approved blood test screening for gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal cancers rarely cause symptoms until the disease is quite advanced. Early detection is critical.