Tummy pain- Cancers of the digestive system on the rise among men
Mar 22, 2009
THERE is an increase in gastrointestinal cancer in Africa, with men being the most affected, researchers and scientists have discovered.
By Juliet Waiswa
THERE is an increase in gastrointestinal cancer in Africa, with men being the most affected, researchers and scientists have discovered.
Gastrointestinal cancer is a term that encompasses a group of cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract.
Gastrointestinal cancers include:
Oesophageal cancer
Stomach cancer
Gallbladder cancer
Gastrointestinal tumours
Liver cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Colon cancer
Rectal and anus cancer
The researchers attribute the increase in the disease to changes in lifestyle, habits like smoking, excessive alcohol intake and poor diet, which are common among men.
Prof. Henry Wabinga, a senior pathologist at Mulago Hospital, says the figures are going up with 18 out of 10,000 cases in males.
He says the majority of the cases reported were of the lower oesophagus (throat), which accounted for a third of the patients received at the clinic. He says the disease is common in Mpigi and Mbarara districts and the Mountain Elgon region.
“In Kenya, people who reside around Mount Kilimanjaro are more vulnerable to this cancer due to volcanic activity,†Wabinga said.
Dr. Joseph Kigula, a senior consultant and the head of the radiotherapy department, says the hospital receives over 200 patients a year with four to five cases reported every week.
Kigula revealed oesophagus cancer is common in people who are 45 years and above, while anus cancer mainly affects the youth. He, however, says most of the patients report to hospital late, when the disease is in its advanced stages.
According to Kigula, chances of survival for people suffering from these cancers are nil.
He warns that if one notices difficulty in visiting the toilet, pushing food down the throat and choking when eating food, they should consult a doctor.
He says one should visit the toilet at least three times a day, but if this is limited to one time or none, one should not just sit back.
Mulago Hospital has had only one machine used to detect gastrointestinal cancers since 1995. Dr. Isaac Ezati, the deputy director, says they need two more machines to handle the increasing cases.
Ezati says when some patients come for treatment and find the machine down, they do not come back for treatment.
He says plans are underway to expand the cancer institute at the cost of sh1b and to reopen other centres in Uganda.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer
Abdominal pain, tenderness, or discomfort
Change in bowel habits, such as frequency or consistency or shape
Rectal bleeding or
blood in stool
Bloating
Loss of appetite
Nausea/vomiting
Unintentional weight loss
Fatigue
These are common symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer, but there are more symptoms that relate specifically to each type.
Diagnosis
How gastrointestinal cancer is diagnosed depends on what type of cancer is suspected. Laboratory tests, imaging tests, biopsies, and endoscopy are all methods of diagnosis.
Once cancer is confirmed, the stage of the cancer is then determined and a treatment plan set.
Treatment
Treatment for gastrointestinal cancer depends on the type of cancer, stage, and other general health factors.
Common methods of treating gastrointestinal cancer include surgery (most commonly used) chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
cancer.about.com
THERE is an increase in gastrointestinal cancer in Africa, with men being the most affected, researchers and scientists have discovered.
Gastrointestinal cancer is a term that encompasses a group of cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract.
Gastrointestinal cancers include:
Oesophageal cancer
Stomach cancer
Gallbladder cancer
Gastrointestinal tumours
Liver cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Colon cancer
Rectal and anus cancer
The researchers attribute the increase in the disease to changes in lifestyle, habits like smoking, excessive alcohol intake and poor diet, which are common among men.
Prof. Henry Wabinga, a senior pathologist at Mulago Hospital, says the figures are going up with 18 out of 10,000 cases in males.
He says the majority of the cases reported were of the lower oesophagus (throat), which accounted for a third of the patients received at the clinic. He says the disease is common in Mpigi and Mbarara districts and the Mountain Elgon region.
“In Kenya, people who reside around Mount Kilimanjaro are more vulnerable to this cancer due to volcanic activity,†Wabinga said.
Dr. Joseph Kigula, a senior consultant and the head of the radiotherapy department, says the hospital receives over 200 patients a year with four to five cases reported every week.
Kigula revealed oesophagus cancer is common in people who are 45 years and above, while anus cancer mainly affects the youth. He, however, says most of the patients report to hospital late, when the disease is in its advanced stages.
According to Kigula, chances of survival for people suffering from these cancers are nil.
He warns that if one notices difficulty in visiting the toilet, pushing food down the throat and choking when eating food, they should consult a doctor.
He says one should visit the toilet at least three times a day, but if this is limited to one time or none, one should not just sit back.
Mulago Hospital has had only one machine used to detect gastrointestinal cancers since 1995. Dr. Isaac Ezati, the deputy director, says they need two more machines to handle the increasing cases.
Ezati says when some patients come for treatment and find the machine down, they do not come back for treatment.
He says plans are underway to expand the cancer institute at the cost of sh1b and to reopen other centres in Uganda.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer
Abdominal pain, tenderness, or discomfort
Change in bowel habits, such as frequency or consistency or shape
Rectal bleeding or
blood in stool
Bloating
Loss of appetite
Nausea/vomiting
Unintentional weight loss
Fatigue
These are common symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer, but there are more symptoms that relate specifically to each type.
Diagnosis
How gastrointestinal cancer is diagnosed depends on what type of cancer is suspected. Laboratory tests, imaging tests, biopsies, and endoscopy are all methods of diagnosis.
Once cancer is confirmed, the stage of the cancer is then determined and a treatment plan set.
Treatment
Treatment for gastrointestinal cancer depends on the type of cancer, stage, and other general health factors.
Common methods of treating gastrointestinal cancer include surgery (most commonly used) chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
cancer.about.com