Dr Pradeep Jain-Gastro Intestinal Cancer and Surgery: Methods and Effectiveness

Dr Pradeep Jain-It’s a fact that most gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours can be cured by surgery and surgery alone. The type of operation will depend on a number of factors, including the size and location of the tumour, whether the person has any other serious diseases, and whether the tumour is causing the carcinoid syndrome.

 Surgeons often try to cure localized carcinoid tumours by removing them completely, which is usually successful. The options for GI carcinoid tumours that have spread locally or distantly are more complex. Because most carcinoid tumours grow very slowly and some do not cause any symptoms, completely removing all metastatic carcinoid tumours may not always be needed. In some patients, surgery to remove all visible cancer is the best option. This is particularly true if removing most of the cancer will reduce the level of hormone-like substances causing symptoms.

Several types of operations may be used to treat GI carcinoid tumours. Some of these remove the primary tumour (where the cancer started), while others remove or destroy cancer spread (metastases) in other organs.Here the commonly used methods are Fulguration (electrofulguration)that destroys a tumour by heating it with electric current. It is sometimes used for small rectal carcinoid tumours, which can be accessed fairly easily;Endoscopic mucosal resection wherein the cancer is removed through an endoscope. This is most often used to treat small carcinoid tumours of the stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) and can also be used to remove small carcinoid tumours of the rectum;Local excision that removes the primary tumour and some normal tissue around it. The edges of the defect are then sewn together. This usually doesn’t cause any prolonged problem with eating or bowel movements. This operation may be done for small carcinoid tumours (no larger than 2 cm, or a little less than an inch),partial gastrectomy where a, part of the stomach is removed. Then there is small bowel resection, remove a piece of the small intestine (also called the small bowel). When it is used to treat a small bowel carcinoid, this surgery includes removing the tumour and some of the small bowel around it (called a wide margin resection), plus removing nearby (regional) lymph nodes and the supporting connective tissue (called the mesentery) that contains lymph nodes and vessels that carry blood to and from the intestine. Finally, tumours in the terminal ileum (the last part of the small bowel) may require removing the right side of the colon (hemicolectomy).

Dr. Pradeep Jain Fortis Hospital is one of the few surgeons in India who are specialized in Advance Laparoscopic GI, Bariatric Surgery and GI Onco. Dr. Pradeep Jain Fortis is an experienced surgeon with strong believe in the holistic approach towards the patients.