The full form of UGC in medical term is upper gastrointestinal cancer. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers, commonly known as stomach cancers, affect the organs in the upper part of the digestive system. An upper GI tumour’s prognosis is grim. The only ways to maximize patient management are early diagnosis and precise staging.
Oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, small bowel cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, and malignancies of the biliary system are all examples of upper gastrointestinal cancers.
Among all cancers, oesophageal and stomach cancers are among the worst. Because of the gradual onset of symptoms and early resemblance to benign reasons of dysphagia and dyspepsia, most of these malignancies in Western nations are only discovered at an advanced stage. The only things that can change the grim prognosis of malignant tumours are earlier diagnosis, more precise staging techniques, and more potent treatment regimens.
The care of upper gastrointestinal malignancies is based on the patient’s health and the disease’s stage at presentation. Surgery, radiation, and Chemotherapy are options for patients whose disease has not yet spread. Chemotherapy and possibly radiotherapy will be recommended for patients with incurable or metastatic illnesses.
When the tumour is easy to reach, surgery might be all that’s necessary. When it’s more arduous, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation therapy may be used first if the tumour is difficult to treat or removal would hurt gastrointestinal function. Immunotherapy or targeted therapy are two possible treatments for certain forms of gastrointestinal cancer.