Decision-Making in Gastrointestinal Oncological Surgery: Balancing Techniques, Patient Factors and Global Health Needs

Dear Colleagues,

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain among the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide, underscoring the need for continued innovation in surgical oncology. Recent years have seen remarkable progress driven by the integration of molecular diagnostics, advanced imaging modalities, and cutting-edge surgical techniques. These advances are transforming the management of upper gastrointestinal, colorectal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic malignancies by expanding treatment possibilities and improving patient outcomes. However, the growing array of therapeutic options, from refined surgical methods and perioperative protocols to targeted systemic therapies, coupled with patient-specific factors (such as tumor genetics, comorbidities, and personal preferences), has made treatment planning increasingly complex. Optimal decision-making now relies on a multidisciplinary approach—surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and other specialists must collaborate to develop multifaceted treatment strategies that maximize oncologic control while preserving quality of life.

This Special Issue of Medicina will highlight the latest advances in GI surgical oncology, focusing on how novel techniques and integrated care strategies are addressing these challenges. We invite clinical and experimental research articles and reviews that showcase state-of-the-art surgical approaches (including minimally invasive, robotic, and image-guided procedures), the incorporation of molecular and imaging innovations into surgical decision-making, and the development of personalized multimodal treatment frameworks. Submissions may also explore how multidisciplinary team-based care influences oncologic and functional outcomes, and examine global disparities in implementing these innovations and in patient outcomes across healthcare settings. This Special Issue aims to deepen the understanding of how such integrative advances can improve outcomes for patients with upper gastrointstinal, colorectal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic cancers worldwide.

Dr. Ionut Negoi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• surgical oncology
• upper gastrointestinal cancers
• colorectal surgery
• hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery