[Bleeding from the alimentary tract--acute hemorrhage from gastrointestinal tumors]

The sources of bleeding from the alimentary tract varies significantly. In this article we describe clinical aspects of gastrointestinal tumors that cause gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Emergency operation for bleeding was decreased because of the advances in endoscopic treatment. However tumors with bleeding had the risk of rebleeding. When the diagnosis of tumor was established, resection was immediately recommended. Emergency operation was associated with a higher mortality rate than elective surgery. It was better to get histological diagnosis before surgery even in emergency operation. Local resection was chosen for the treatment of benign tumors and complete resection and lymph node dissection were chosen for most malignant tumors. It is important to build up a closer connection with endoscopists, surgeons and pathologists.