Upper gastrointestinal cancer (hepatobiliary and oesophago-gastric)

Upper gastrointestinal cancer encompasses tumour types – pancreatic, liver, biliary tract and oesophago-gastric cancers – that are associated with high mortality rates. Although mortality rates are high, with pancreatic cancer remaining the most aggressive and little progress made, treatment paradigms for both early-stage and advanced disease have evolved, most associated with an incremental benefit. Single-modality treatment was once the standard of care; however, practice now integrates multidisciplinary and multimodality treatment approaches including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and, more recently, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The era of precision medicine has provided a gateway for novel targeted therapy and it continues to be part of the wider approach for personalizing gastrointestinal cancer treatment to improve patient outcomes.