DISEASE DESCRIPTION
 Is an inflammation of the protective  Gastritis doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms
lining of the stomach
GASTRITIS  ACUTE GASTRITIS involves
sudden, severe inflammation.
 CHRONIC
GASTRITIS involves long-term
inflammation that can last for
years if it’s left untreated.
 Peptic ulcers are sores that
develop in the lining of the
stomach, lower esophagus, or
small intestine. They’re usually
PEPTIC ULCER formed as a result of inflammation
caused by the bacteria H. pylori, as
well as from erosion from stomach
acids. Peptic ulcers are a fairly
common health problem.
 There are three types of peptic
ulcers:
 GASTRCIT
ULCERS: Ulcers that develop
inside the stomach
 ESOPHAGEAL
ULCERS: Ulcers that develop
inside the esophagus
 DUODENAL ULCERS : Ulcers
that develop in the upper
section of the small intestines,
called the duodenum
S&S DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT
 Your doctor will perform a physical exam, ask  The treatment for gastritis depends on the
in everyone. The most common symptoms about your symptoms, and ask for your family cause of the condition. If you have gastritis
are: history. They may also recommend a breath, caused by NSAIDs or other drugs, avoiding
blood, or stool test to check for H. pylori. those drugs may be enough to relieve your
 Nausea symptoms. Gastritis as a result of H. pylori
 In order to get a look at what’s going on inside is routinely treated with antibiotics that kill
 Vomiting you, your doctor may want to perform an the bacteria.
endoscopy to check for inflammation.
 A feeling of fullness in your upper  In addition to antibiotics, several other types
abdomen, particularly after eating  Your doctor may also take X - rays of your of medication are used to treat gastritis:
indigestion digestive tract after you swallow a barium
solution, which will help distinguish areas of  Proton pump inhibitors
 If you have erosive gastritis, you might concern.
experience different symptoms, including:  Acid reducing medications
 Black, tarry stool  Antacids
 Vomiting blood or material that looks like  Probiotics
coffee grounds
 The most common symptom of a peptic ulcer  Two types of tests are available to diagnose a Treatment will depend on the underlying cause
is burning abdominal pain that extends from peptic ulcer. of your ulcer. If tests show that you have an H.
the navel to the chest, which can range from pylori infection, your doctor will prescribe a
mild to severe. In some cases, the pain may  ENDOSCOPY combination of medication. You’ll have to take
wake you up at night. Small peptic ulcers may the medications for up to two weeks. The
not produce any symptoms in the early  UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) SERIES medications include antibiotics to help kill
phases. infections and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to
help reduce stomach acid.
 Other common signs of a peptic ulcer include:
If your doctor determines that you don’t have
 Changes in appetite an H. pylori infection, they may recommend a
prescription or over-the-counter PPI (such as
 Nausea Prilosec or Prevacid) for up to eight weeks to
reduce stomach acid and help your ulcer heal.
 Bloody or dark stools
 Unexplained weight loss
 Indigestion
 Vomiting
 Chest pain
 DISEASE DESCRIPTION
 Gastritis is an inflammation,
irritation, or erosion of the lining of
the stomach. It can occur suddenly
GASTRITIS (acute) or gradually (chronic).
 You have a peptic ulcer if you get
open sores in the lining of
your stomach or the upper part of
the small intestine. That happens
PEPTIC ULCER when your stomach acids etch
away your digestive tract’s
protective layer of mucus. You may
have no symptoms, or you may
feel discomfort or burning pain.
Peptic ulcers can lead to internal
bleeding, which sometimes can
mean you’ll
need blood transfusions in the
hospital.
 You can have two types of peptic
ulcer disease:
 GASTRCIT ULCERS →You
S&S
 Symptoms of gastritis vary among individuals,
and in many people there are no symptoms.
However, the most common symptoms
include:
 Nausea or recurrent upset stomach
 Abdominal bloating
 Abdominal pain
 Vomiting
 Indigestion
 Burning or gnawing feeling in the stomach
between meals or at night
 Hiccups
 Loss of appetite
 Vomiting blood or coffee ground - like
material
 Black, tarry stools
 You’ll most likely feel a burning pain or
discomfort between your belly button and
breastbone. You might especially notice it on
an empty stomach -- such as between meals
or at night. The pain may stop for a little while
if you eat or take an antacid, but then return.
The pain can last for a few minutes or a few
hours, and may come and go for many days
or weeks.
 Other symptoms may include:
 Bloated feeling
 Burping
 Lack of appetite or weight loss
 Nausea
DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT
 To diagnose gastritis, your doctor will review  Treatment for gastritis usually involves:
your personal and family medical history,
perform a thorough physical evaluation, and  Taking antacids and other drugs (such
may recommend any of the following tests: as proton pump inhibitors or H - 2
blockers) to reduce stomach acid
 UPPER ENDOSCOPY
 Avoiding hot and spicy foods
 BLOODTEST
 For gastritis caused by H.
 FECAL OCCULT BLOOD TEST (STOOL pylori infection, your doctor will
TEST) → This test checks for the presence prescribe a regimen of
of blood in your stool, a possible sign of several antibiotics plus an acid blocking
gastritis. drug (used for heartburn)
 If the gastritis is caused by pernicious
anemia, B12 vitamin shots will be given.
 Eliminating irritating foods from your diet
such as lactose from dairy
or gluten from wheat
 Your doctor will ask about your symptoms,  Some peptic ulcers heal on their own. But if
whether you take NSAIDs and other drugs, and you don’t treat them, the ulcers tend to
medical history. She’ll also check you come back.
for bloating in the belly and pain. That may be
enough to make a diagnosis.  They can erode the blood vessel wall in
your stomach or small intestine. The ulcers
 The only way your doctor can tell for sure if you also can eat a hole through the lining and
have an ulcer is to look. She may use a series of get infected. Or they can cause swelling,
X - rays or a test called an endoscopy. This test which may block food from moving from
allows her to pass a thin, bendy tube down your your stomach into your small intestine.
throat and into your stomach and small intestine.
The tube has a camera at the end so she can
check the lining for ulcers. She may also take a
small piece of the lining to test for H.
pylori. Blood, breath, and stool sample tests also
can screen for the bacteria.
The esophagus is a muscular tube that’s responsible for
moving food from the throat to the stomach.
 DISEASE DESCRIPTION
 Stomach cancer is characterized
by a growth of cancerous cells
within the lining of the stomach.
Also called gastric cancer, this type
of cancer is difficult to diagnose
because most people typically
don’t show symptoms in the earlier
stages.
STOMACH CANCER
(GASTRIC
 While stomach cancer is relatively
ADENOCARCINOMA
rare compared to other types of
) cancer, one of the biggest dangers
of this disease is the difficulty of
diagnosing it. Since stomach
cancer usually doesn’t cause any
early symptoms, it often goes
undiagnosed until after it spreads
to other parts of the body. This
makes it more difficult to treat.
S&S DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT
 According to the NCI (NATIONAL CANCER  Since people with stomach cancer rarely show  Traditionally, stomach cancer is treated with
INSTITUTE), there are typically no early signs symptoms in the early stages, the disease is one or more of the following:
or symptoms of stomach cancer. often not diagnosed until it’s more advanced.
Unfortunately, this means that people often  CHEMOTERAPHY
don’t know anything is wrong until the cancer  To make a diagnosis, your doctor will first
has reached an advanced stage. perform a physical exam to check for any  RADIATION THERAPY
abnormalities. They may also order a blood test,
 Some of the most common symptoms of including a test for the presence of H. pylori  SURGERY
advanced stomach cancer are: bacteria.
 IMMUNOTHERAPY, such as vaccines
 Nausea and vomiting  More diagnostic tests will need to be done if and medication
your doctor believes that you show signs of
 Frequent heartburn stomach cancer. Diagnostic tests specifically  Your exact treatment plan will depend on
look for suspected tumors and other the origin and stage of the cancer. Age and
 Loss of appetite, sometimes accompanied abnormalities in the stomach and esophagus. overall health can also play a role.
by sudden weight loss These tests may include:
 Constant bloating  An UPPERGASTROINTESTINAL
ENDOSCOPY
 early satiety (Feeling full after eating only
a small amount)  A BIOPSY
 Bloody stools  IMAGING TEST, such as CT SCANS and X
- RAYS
 Jaundice
 Excessive fatigue
 Stomach pain, which may be worse after
meals
Gastric cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced
stage because there are no early signs or
symptoms.
 DISEASE DESCRIPTION S&S DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT

 Stomach cancer begins
when cancer cells form in the inner
lining of your stomach. These cells
can grow into a tumor. Also called
gastric cancer, the disease usually
grows slowly over many years
 Gastric (stomach) cancer is a
disease in which malignant
(cancer) cells form in the lining of
STOMACH CANCER the stomach.
(GASTRIC
ADENOCARCINOMA
) see if you have other risk factors and test you to
 Early on, stomach cancer may cause:  Your doctor will give you a physical exam. He'll  Many treatments can fight stomach cancer.
 Indigestion also ask about your medical history to see if you The one you and your doctor choose will
have any risk factors for stomach cancer or any depend on how long you’ve had the disease
 Feeling bloated after you eat a meal family members who’ve had it. Then, he might or how much it has spread in your body,
give you some tests, including: called the stage of your cancer.
 Heartburn
 BLOOD TESTS to look for signs of cancer  CHEMOTERAPHY
 Slight nausea in your body.
 RADIATION THERAPY
 Loss of appetite  UPPER ENDOSCOPY → Your doctor will
put a thin, flexible tube with a small camera  CHEMORADIATION
Just having indigestion or heartburn after a meal
down your throat to look into your stomach.
doesn’t mean you have cancer. But if you feel  TARGETED DRUGS
these symptoms a lot, talk to your doctor. He can  UPPER GI SERIES TEST → You’ll drink a
chalky liquid with a substance called barium.
look for any problems. The fluid coats your stomach and makes it
show up more clearly on X-rays.
 As stomach tumors grow, you may have more
serious symptoms, such as:  CT SCAN → This is a powerful X-ray that
makes detailed pictures of the inside of your
 Stomach pain body.
 Blood in your stool  BIOPSY → Your doctor takes a small piece
of tissue from your stomach to look at under
 Vomiting
a microscope for signs of cancer cells. He
might do this during an endoscopy.
 Weight loss for no reason

 Trouble swallowing

 Yellowish eyes or skin

 Swelling in your stomach

 Constipation or diarrhea

 Weakness or feeling tired

 Heartburn
 DISEASE DESCRIPTION S&S DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT

 Cancer that forms in tissues lining
the esophagus (the muscular tube
through which food passes from
the throat to the stomach).
 Esophageal cancer can occur
ESOPHAGEAL when a malignant tumor forms in
the lining of the esophagus. As the
CANCER tumor grows, it can affect the deep
(ESOPHAGUS tissues and muscle of the
CANGER) esophagus. A tumor can appear
anywhere along the length of the
esophagus, including the junction
of the esophagus and stomach, or
where the two meet.
 There are two common types of
esophageal cancer.
 SQUAMOUS CELL
CARCINOMA when cancer
starts in the flat, thin cells that
make up the lining of the
esophagus. This form most
often appears in the top or
middle of the esophagus, but it
can appear anywhere.
 During the early stages of esophageal cancer,
you probably won’t experience any symptoms.
As your cancer progresses, you may
experience:
 Unintentional weight loss
 Indigestion
 Heartburn
 Difficulty or painful swallowing
 Frequent choking while eating
 Vomiting
 Food coming back up the esophagus
 Chest pain
 Fatigue
 Testing methods for diagnosing esophageal  Your doctor may recommend SURGERY if
cancer can include the following: the cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of
your body. Your doctor may instead
 An ENDOSCOPY involves the use of an recommend CHEMOTHERAPY or
instrument with a camera attached to a tube RADIATION THERAPY as the best course
that goes down your throat and allows your of action. These treatments are also
doctor to view the lining of your esophagus sometimes done to shrink tumors in the
to check for abnormalities and irritation. esophagus so that they can be removed
more easily with surgery.
 A barium swallow is an X – RAY IMAGING
TEST that allows your doctor to see the
lining of your esophagus. To do this, you’ll
swallow a chemical called barium while the
images are being obtained.
 A BIOPSY is a process in which your doctor
removes a sample of the suspicious tissue
with the help of an endoscope and sends it
to a lab for testing.

 ADENOCARCINOMA occurs
when cancer starts in the
glandular cells of the
esophagus that are responsible
for the production of fluids such
as mucus. Adenocarcinomas
are most common in the lower
portion of the esophagus.
 DISEASE DESCRIPTION S&S DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT

 Esophageal cancer occurs  Early on there may be no symptoms. In more  To diagnose esophageal cancer, your doctor will  As with many cancers, esophageal cancer
when cancer cells develop in advanced cancers, symptoms of esophageal review your symptoms, medical history, and treatment has a greater chance of success
the esophagus, a tube-like cancer include: examine you. In addition, he or she may order if the cancer is caught early. Unfortunately,
structure that runs from your throat certain blood tests and X - rays. by the time esophageal cancer is diagnosed
to your stomach. Food goes from  Unintentional weight loss for many people, it is often already in an
the mouth to the stomach through  Tests for esophageal cancer may include: advanced stage (has spread throughout the
the esophagus. The cancer starts  Difficulty or pain when swallowing esophagus and beyond).
at the inner layer of the esophagus  BARIUM SWALLOW X – RAY, in which you
and can spread throughout the  Weight loss drink a liquid that coats your esophagus.  Treatment of esophageal cancer depends
ESOPHAGEAL other layers of the esophagus and This makes the esophagus stand out on the on many factors, including the stage of the
CANCER  Pain in the chest, behind the breastbone X-ray so that your doctor can identify certain cancer and the overall health of the patient.
to other parts of the body
(ESOPHAGUS (metastasis). problems.
 Coughing
 SURGERY → Part or all of the
CANGER)  ENDOSCOPY → The doctor passes an esophagus may be removed.
 There are two common types of  Hoarseness
esophageal cancer. endoscope, a thin, lighted tube, down your
throat into your esophagus to examine it.  RADIATION THERAPY → Kills cancer
 Indigestion and heartburn
 SQUAMOUS CELL cells with radiation.
CARCINOMA → Squamous  ENDOSCOPY US uses sound waves to
cells line the inner esophagus, provide more information about the extent  CHEMOTHERAPY
and cancer developing from of tumor involvement in nearby tissues. → Powerful drugs that attack cancer
squamous cells can occur cells throughout the body; typically used
along the entire esophagus  BIOPSY → During an endoscopy, the doctor in combination with radiation
can take cells or tissue from your therapy and/or surgery.
 ADENOCARCINOMA → This esophagus. The cells are examined under a
is cancer that develops from microscope for the presence of cancer.  TARGETED THERAPY → Newer
gland cells. To develop treatments that target specific aspects
adenocarcinoma of the  Other tests, including COMPUTED of a cancer to curb cancer growth and
esophagus, squamous cells TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANS, POSITRON spread.
that normally line the EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET) SCAN,
THORACOSCOPY, and LAPAROSCOPY, may  IMMUNOTHERAPY → Helps the
esophagus are replaced by
be performed to determine if the cancer has immune system to attack cancer cells.
gland cells. This typically
occurs in the lower esophagus spread, or metastasized, outside of the
esophagus. This process is called "staging." The  PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY →
near the stomach and is
doctor needs this information in order to plan Targets cancer cells with a special laser
believed to be largely related to
your treatment. light.
acid exposure to the lower
esophagus.  ELECTROCOAGULATION → Uses
electric current to destroy cancer cells.

 CRYOTHERAPY →Freezes cancer