Difficulty swallowing
Food sticking or pain on swallowing — the cardinal oesophageal symptom.
Cancers We Treat
GI cancers span many organs —
GI cancers span many organs —
one coordinated plan.
Gastrointestinal cancer is a broad category covering the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, gallbladder and pancreas. Each behaves differently — but all benefit from multidisciplinary planning, where AARO contributes chemoradiation expertise and pioneering pancreas SBRT experience.
5+Organ systems under one specialty
90–95%Of stomach cancers are adenocarcinomas
SBRTPancreas programme set up by our specialist
Image · placeholderAn AARO specialist in consultation — reviewing gastrointestinal imaging with a patient.
Image · placeholderAnatomy illustration — the digestive tract from oesophagus to pancreas
Gastrointestinal Cancer · What is it
Different organs, different cancers.
Gastrointestinal cancers arise from uncontrolled cell growth in any organ of the digestive system, and are categorised by organ and cell type. Oesophageal cancers are mostly squamous cell carcinomas (upper and middle oesophagus) or adenocarcinomas (lower oesophagus). Stomach cancers are 90–95% adenocarcinomas, though lymphomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) and carcinoid tumours also occur.
Small intestine cancers most often begin in the duodenum and include adenocarcinomas, slow-growing carcinoid tumours, lymphomas and sarcomas. Gallbladder cancers are rare and nearly all adenocarcinomas.
Pancreatic cancers mostly arise from the exocrine glands — ductal adenocarcinoma being the most common — with less common neuroendocrine tumours arising from the hormone-producing cells. Because each of these diseases behaves so differently, the exact diagnosis drives everything that follows.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · Symptoms
When to see a doctor.
GI cancers often develop quietly — pre-cancerous changes in the stomach, for instance, rarely cause symptoms. See a doctor promptly for:
Persistent indigestion
Ongoing indigestion, bloating or upper abdominal discomfort, especially if new after 50.
Unexplained weight loss
Losing weight without trying accompanies many GI cancers.
Blood in stool or vomit
Black stools or blood in vomit signal bleeding that needs urgent assessment.
Jaundice
Yellowing of skin and eyes — a key sign in pancreatic and gallbladder disease.
New-onset diabetes or back pain
Both can be presenting features of pancreatic cancer.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · Diagnosis
How gastrointestinal cancer is diagnosed.
Endoscopy and modern imaging reach every part of the digestive tract — establishing the exact site, type and stage.
Image · placeholderEndoscopy suite — gastroscopy in progress
Endoscopy
Gastroscopy visualises the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum directly; suspicious areas are biopsied at the same sitting.
Image · placeholderPathology review of biopsy tissue
Biopsy & typing
Pathology confirms the cancer type — adenocarcinoma, GIST, lymphoma or neuroendocrine — which changes the treatment entirely.
Image · placeholderStaging CT of the abdomen on the console
CT / MRI / EUS
Cross-sectional imaging and endoscopic ultrasound define the tumour's depth, local invasion and nodal involvement.
Image · placeholderPET-CT staging review
PET-CT staging
Whole-body imaging completes the stage and shapes whether treatment aims at cure or control.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · Risk factors
What raises your risk?
Risk factors vary by organ — but several recur across the digestive tract:
Smoking & alcohol
Both raise risk across oesophageal, stomach and pancreatic cancers.
H. pylori infection
Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is a major stomach cancer risk factor — and it's treatable.
Reflux & Barrett's oesophagus
Long-standing reflux can transform the lower oesophageal lining, raising adenocarcinoma risk.
Diet
Diets high in salted, smoked and preserved foods raise stomach cancer risk.
Obesity & diabetes
Both are associated with oesophageal, pancreatic and gallbladder cancers.
Family history
Inherited syndromes and family history raise risk for several GI cancers.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · Treatment
How AARO treats gastrointestinal cancer.
GI cancers are treated by multidisciplinary teams — surgery, radiation and systemic therapy sequenced deliberately. AARO's contribution centres on precision radiation where it demonstrably changes outcomes.
Chemoradiation
Pre-operative chemoradiation for oesophageal and selected stomach cancers shrinks tumours and improves surgical outcomes.
Pancreas & liver SBRT
Ablative stereotactic radiation for pancreatic and hepatobiliary tumours — our specialist set up the pioneering NCCS programmes.
VMAT / IMRT
Intensity-modulated delivery keeps stomach, bowel and kidney dose low across every abdominal course.
Systemic therapy coordination
Chemotherapy and targeted therapy planned alongside radiation in one multidisciplinary pathway.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · Precision
Hours of planning, for one careful treatment.
Every plan at AARO goes through detailed contouring, dose simulation, and independent physics review before a single beam is delivered. We do this so the radiation hits exactly the tissue that needs it — and avoids the healthy tissue around it.
Image · placeholderTwo AARO radiation therapists at the planning console, reviewing a treatment plan together on a multi-monitor workstation.
We plan every dose.
Our medical physicists and radiation therapists collaborate on each plan — contouring tumour and organs-at-risk, simulating dose distribution, and independently checking every parameter before delivery.
Image · placeholderAn AARO team member reviewing verification imaging at the console — daily image guidance before treatment.
We verify every session.
Imaging before each fraction confirms the target's position to the millimetre — so tight margins stay safe, and healthy tissue stays out of the high-dose region.
Image · placeholderA patient comfortably positioned beneath the Elekta linear accelerator with green laser positioning lights and the signature starry ceiling above.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · What to expect
Quiet, precise, uneventful.
Each treatment session takes 15–30 minutes. You'll lie on a precision treatment couch beneath the linear accelerator. Positioning lasers and daily imaging align you to within a millimetre of the planned position.
You won't feel the radiation as it's delivered. There's no anaesthesia, no recovery time, and no overnight stay. Most patients drive themselves home after the session and return to normal activities the same day.
Image · placeholderThe four senior AARO specialists at the Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery.
Gastrointestinal Cancer · Your specialists
Meet Dr Jonathan Teh→
Sub-specialist care.
GI radiation at AARO is led by sub-specialists in upper GI, hepatobiliary and colorectal cancers, with internationally published chemoradiation expertise.
Dr Jonathan TehGU · Head & Neck · GI · Sarcoma · Paediatric
Dr David TanGynae · GI · Hepatobiliary · Lung
Recently diagnosed? Or seeking a second opinion?
Book a 45–60 minute specialist consultation. We'll review your imaging and pathology, explain the options that apply to your case, and answer your questions.