Stomach Cancer : In Depth - Deciding on Treatment
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Researchers are continually finding new ways to treat stomach cancer. People diagnosed with it now have more hope for survival than ever before.
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Researchers continue to study new treatments for stomach cancer. That means there is now more hope for survival than ever before.
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At first, the information you learn about treatment options may seem overwhelming. You may ease the stress by allowing yourself the time to gather as much information as possible about your disease and its treatment. Then you can discuss the issues with your doctors, nurses, and loved ones.
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The goal of the surgery partly depends on where the cancer is located in your stomach and how far it has spread. The main goal of surgery is to remove the tumor. If cancer hasn't spread, removing the tumor may provide a cure. Surgery also gives your doctor the chance to see if the cancer has spread. Another goal of surgery may be to ease symptoms, such as bleeding or blockage.
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At this time, surgery is the only way to cure stomach cancer. Your doctor may suggest surgery if either of these factors is true for you.
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The type of surgery you have depends on the exact location of the cancer and whether it has spread.
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This type of surgery works well for people whose cancer involves the lower part of the stomach. Also called the distal part of the stomach, this is the part near your small intestine. For this procedure, the surgeon removes the part of your stomach that contains cancer. In most cases, about 75% of the stomach will be removed. The surgeon may also remove these other organs that are near your stomach.
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This surgery is done for people who have cancer in the middle or upper part of the stomach. For this surgery, the surgeon makes an up-and-down cut in the middle of your abdomen. The surgeon removes these organs.
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You may be in the hospital for 3 to 5 days. You may not be able to work for up to 6 weeks. Complications from stomach cancer surgery may include these problems. Discuss these with your doctor.
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You can receive radiation treatment as an outpatient in a hospital or a clinic. You usually receive treatment 5 days a week. The treatment continues for 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the type and dose of radiation recommended by your radiation oncologist.
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Radiation treatment is also called radiotherapy. Its goal is to kill or shrink cancer cells. It does this by directing strong X-rays at the site of the tumor. The most common type of radiation therapy used to treat stomach cancer is external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). For it, a machine outside the body sends the strong X-rays to a specific area of your body.
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Your doctor may suggest radiation treatment if any of these statements is true for you.
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Radiation therapy affects normal cells as well as cancer cells. Thus the side effects of radiation depend on the amount and type of radiation you get. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have any side effects.
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Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment because the drugs travel through the entire body in the bloodstream, killing all cells that rapidly divide. That means the drugs can kill cancer cells as well as some healthy cells. This type of treatment doesn't usually cure stomach cancer.
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Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy for these reasons. You need treatment to help ease symptoms caused by the cancer, such as pain.
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Most people have chemotherapy in an outpatient part of a hospital or in a doctor's office.
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The side effects of chemotherapy are different for everyone. They depend on these factors.
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