Systemic Diseases and Risk of Developing Gastrointestinal Cancer.

  • Naila Malkani Department of Zoology, Government College University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Usman Rashid Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Keywords: Epidemiology, gastrointestinal cancer, global burden, inflammation, risk factors, systemic diseases

Abstract

Importance: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Observations: The global challenges GI cancers pose are high, especially in middle- and low-income countries. Patients with these cancers present with symptoms of poor appetite, weight loss, heartburn, abdominal pain, fatigue, and anaemia. Several risk factors contribute to GI cancers, including age, gender, obesity, pathogenic infections, smoking cigarettes, alcohol consumption, and dietary habits. Most of these cancers are sporadic. However, some patients are at high risk because of a family history of GI cancers. Systemic diseases affect multiple organs, and their chronic occurrence elicits inflammatory responses at various sites. These diseases also contribute to GI cancers. Conclusion and Relevance: In this review, we discuss that untreated systemic diseases, including diabetes, hepatitis, AIDS, ulcers, and hypertension, can potentially lead to GI cancers if they remain untreated for a longer period. Systemic diseases initiate oxidative stress, inflammatory pathways, and genetic manipulations, which altogether confer risks to GI cancers. Here, we describe the association between systemic diseases and their underlying mechanisms leading to GI cancers.

Author Biography

Muhammad Usman Rashid, Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Senior Research Scientist, Basic Sciences Research

Published
2023-06-16
How to Cite
1.
Malkani N, Rashid MU. Systemic Diseases and Risk of Developing Gastrointestinal Cancer. J Cancer Allied Spec [Internet]. 2023Jun.16 [cited 2024Nov.25];9(2). Available from: https://jcas.journals.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/jcas/article/view/473