Upper gastrointestinal cancers include oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, small bowel cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer and cancers of the biliary system. Accurate investigation and staging are central to the appropriate management of patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers.

Oesophageal cancer is a cancer that starts in the food pipe. The food pipe is also called the oesophagus or gullet. In the UK it is the 14th most common cancer in adults. Oesophageal cancer is more common in men than women and more common in older people. In the UK, on average each year around 40% of new cases are in people aged 75 and over. It's very rare in people younger than 40. Around 35% of oesophageal cancer cases in the UK are caused by smoking. Smoking and drinking together further increases the risk of some oesophageal cancers more than by itself. More than 25% of oesophageal cancers in the UK are caused by being overweight or obese; the more overweight you are the higher your risk.

Stomach cancer is when abnormal cells in the stomach start to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way. It is also called gastric cancer. The number of people in the UK diagnosed with stomach cancer has fallen since the early 1990s. Stomach cancer is more common in older people with around 50% of cases occurring in people aged 75 or over. It is more common in men than women. Cancer can start in any part of the stomach wall and treatment depends on where in the stomach the cancer starts and what type of cell it starts in. Most stomach cancers start in the gland cells in the inner stomach lining - these are called adenocarcinomas. It is not known what causes most stomach cancers but there are some risks factors that can increase the risk of developing it. These include being older, infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), being overweight and smoking.

Pancreatic cancer is when abnormal cells in the pancreas start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way and form a tumour. The cancer cells can grow into surrounding blood vessels or organs such as the small bowel (duodenum) and may spread to other areas of the body. It is the 10th most common cancer in the UK. More than 45% of people diagnosed are aged 75 and over. Pancreatic cancer is uncommon in people under 40 years old. It is not known what causes most pancreatic cancers but there are risk factors that may increase the risk of getting it – old age, smoking, being overweight or obese, and family cancer syndromes and genetic factors, such as some faulty breast cancer genes.

Small bowel cancer can occur in the duodenum, jejunum, or ileum, with most cases being found in the duodenum. These are considered rare cancers. It is not known what causes most small bowel cancers but there are some factors that may increase risk; older age, familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome, Peutz Jeghers syndrome, Crohn’s disease, Coeliac disease, a diet rich in red meat or smoked foods, or a high fat diet. Symptoms include pain or lump in your tummy (abdomen), weight loss, feeling and being sick, diarrhoea, tiredness, dark black poo due to bleeding in the small bowel, blockage in the bowel, a low number of red blood cells (anaemia) due to bleeding

Primary liver cancer is an uncommon cancer in the UK. It is more common to have cancer that has spread to the liver from somewhere else in your body, which is called secondary liver cancer. Secondary cancers happen when cancer cells break away from the primary site and travel to other parts of the body in the blood or lymphatic system. The cells might lodge in another body organ, such as the lungs or liver, and begin to grow there. The cells are still the same type as the primary cancer. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Bile duct cancer is when abnormal cells in the bile ducts divide in an uncontrolled way. The cells can spread into surrounding healthy tissues or organs, like the bowel or pancreas. They may also spread to parts of the body away from the bile duct. Bile duct cancer is also called cholangiocarcinoma. The number of people getting bile duct cancer has increased in the last few years. Some studies suggest it might be related to lifestyle choices such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Bile duct cancer is more common in older people. The risk is also higher in people who have inflammation in their bile ducts called primary sclerosis cholangitis (PSC), a rare type of cyst in the bile ducts called a choledochal cyst, and stones in their bile ducts or gallbladder.