Diagnosis and Treatment of Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Malignancies: Current Advances and Future Prospects

Dear Colleagues,

Cancers of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract constitute a high global burden, with gastric and esophageal cancers representing the fifth and sixth most common cancers worldwide, respectively. Cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and small bowel comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies distinguished by differences in histopathologic classification, risk factors and etiologies, and incidence and epidemiologic patterns, and, more recently, with comprehensive molecular profiling and molecular classification, leading to precision-based systemic therapy options in select scenarios. Despite improvements in screening, diagnosis, and radiation, surgical, and systemic therapies, global survival rates remain unsatisfactory, and the disease remains incurable in advanced stages.

Cancers of the lower gastrointestinal tract share a similar high public burden. Although inclusive of rarer tumor types such as appendiceal cancer, colorectal cancer constitutes a substantial public health burden, representing the second most common cause of cancer death globally. In colorectal cancer, significant gains have been made in both the management of non-metastatic and metastatic disease spanning from novel neoadjuvant approaches, newer postoperative surveillance strategies inclusive of minimal residual disease assessments, implementation of liquid biopsies and ctDNA, and developments in systemic therapies that are both biomarker-driven and unselected.

The focus of this Special Issue is to highlight global research efforts to improve outcomes in patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers. We recognize that dramatic improvements in the management of these malignancies in recent decades have resulted from a multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment of patients. As such, we invite colleagues from across all disciplines, epidemiology, basic and translational science, genetics, nutrition, surgery, surgical oncology, hematology and oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, interventional radiology, gastroenterology, interventional gastroenterology, palliative care, and pathology, to highlight recent advancements in their respective fields that have contributed to the global care of patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers.

Dr. Jun Gong
Guest Editor

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