Are gastrointestinal tract malignancies, diseases of old age? In south western region of Pakistan too

ABSTRACT

Purpose/Background: the majority of cancers affect older persons because aging is a high risk factor for this disease. Gastrointestinal tract malignancies are also considered disease that affects older patients, with a peak incidence in the sixth and seventh decades. Close to 60% of all newly diagnosed malignant tumors and 71% of all cancer deaths occur in persons in this age group according to the NCI surveillance, epidemiology and end results [SEER] program data. Aging population is more vulnerable to develop cancer caused by a lifetime exposure to carcinogen such as pollution, radiation, tobacco and harmful sunrays etc