Common symptoms
- Often no symptoms at an early stage
- Change in bowel habit
- Blood in stool or anaemia
- Persistent indigestion after age 50
- Unexplained weight loss
See a doctor promptly if
- Difficulty swallowing
- Black stools or blood in stool
- Weight loss
- Family history of GI cancer
Why early detection matters
Many gut cancers develop slowly from pre-cancerous changes such as polyps. Found early, they can often be removed endoscopically, avoiding major surgery.
How we look for early cancer
- High-definition endoscopy with narrow band imaging to spot subtle changes
- Colonoscopy with polyp removal
- Targeted biopsies and surveillance for Barrett’s oesophagus, atrophic gastritis and long-standing colitis
- Endoscopic resection (EMR / ESD) of early lesions
Dr. Kalia has a particular interest in detecting early gastric and colorectal cancers.
How we can help
Upper GI EndoscopyA high-definition camera examination of the food pipe, stomach and duodenum to find the cause of acidity, pain, bleeding or swallowing trouble.
ColonoscopyA camera examination of the large bowel to investigate bleeding, bowel changes or anaemia, remove polyps and screen for colon cancer.
Preventive Digestive Health CheckupsPersonalised liver and gut screening — guided by your age, family history and risk factors rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
Frequently asked questions
Adults from around 45–50 years at average risk, and earlier for people with a family history of colon cancer or polyps, or with long-standing colitis.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shivam Kalia MBBS, MD (Medicine), DM (Gastroenterology) · Consultant Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist