Stomach Cancer Treatment – Introduction

Treatment for stomach cancer, which is also known as gastric cancer, has been increasingly sought after in recent years, say the stomach cancer specialists in India. Due to rising lifestyle disorders and unhealthy dietary habits, more and more people are getting diagnosed with stomach cancer these days.

Stomach cancer begins when the cells in the stomach start to grow abnormally. It is slightly different from the other cancers that occur in the abdomen. It doesn’t occur suddenly, rather develops over a period of time. Before a tumor develops, there would be minor pre-cancerous physical changes in the stomach which would not even cause any symptom, and thus go undetected in the initial stage. If you are searching for stomach cancer treatment in India, then read further to get answers for all your questions.

Types of Stomach Cancer

• Adenocarcinomas – This is the most common stomach cancer that grows from the gland cells in the innermost lining of your stomach, that is, the mucosa.
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) – This one is not so common and starts in the cells across the wall of your stomach.
• Neuroendocrine tumors (together with carcinoids) – Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) originate in cells of the stomach and act like nerve cells in a way and also like hormone-producing endocrine cells.
• Lymphomas– Lymphomas begin in immune system cells known as lymphocytes. They usually originate in other parts of the body, but some of them can also start in the wall of your stomach. The treatment and prognosis for such cancers depend on the type of lymphoma and other similar factors.

Signs and Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

According to Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas, best stomach cancer specialist in India, this cancer usually doesn’t cause any major symptoms in the initial stages. And when symptoms start occurring, they would simply resemble that of stomach infection or ulcer. Therefore, it is very important that you see your doctor on time and do not take below signs and symptoms lightly.

• Pain and discomfort in the abdominal area
• Stomach gets bloated after meals
• Indigestion and constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Appetite loss
• Feeling tired and weak always
• Excessive weight loss
• Vomiting blood or presence of blood in the stool

Diagnosis of Stomach (gastric) Cancer

Your doctor will advice following tests and procedures in order to diagnose if you have stomach cancer

• Blood Tests
• Ultrasound
• CT/MRI
• Upper GI Endoscopy – A thin tube with a tiny camera at its tip is passed by your doctor down the throat, upto the stomach in order to look for signs of cancer.
• Biopsy
• Exploratory Surgery – This is normally done laparoscopically wherein your surgeon will make small incisions in the abdomen and insert camera to explore through the stomach and find out if it has spread beyond the stomach.

Stomach Cancer Treatment in India

Treatment options for your stomach cancer would depend on the location of cancer, its stage and intensity. Your doctor will also take into consideration your general health condition and how you choose to get treated when making a treatment plan.

Stomach cancer usually starts along the inner lining of the stomach. From the stomach, it tends to grow and spread across other body parts. As the disease becomes more advanced, it can move through the bloodstream and metastasize to your other organs like lungs, liver, etc. thus making it difficult to treat.

Following are the treatment options that are followed once diagnosis and staging of stomach cancer is done

Stomach Cancer Surgery in India

If you are considering stomach cancer surgery in India, there are a few things you should know. First, stomach cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer, so you may not find as many doctors who specialize in this type of surgery. Second, the cost of stomach cancer surgery in India is usually much lower than in developed countries. Finally, the success rate of stomach cancer surgery in India is generally high, so you can be confident that you will receive the best possible care.

Chemotherapy for Stomach Cancer

During Chemotherapy treatment for your stomach cancer, your doctor will use drugs that are chemicals which help in killing cancer cells. These drugs move throughout your body, thus killing cancer cells which would have spread beyond the stomach.

This treatment can be given before surgery in order to shrink the cancer tumor which can then be easily removed. Same can also be used after surgery for killing any cancerous cells that might be left out in the body.

Chemotherapy is usually combined with radiation therapy. Also, for people with advanced stage stomach cancer, chemotherapy may also be used alone or in combination with targeted drug therapy.

Radiation Therapy for Stomach Cancer

Radiation therapy makes use of high-energy beams like x-rays and protons, for killing cancerous cells. For your stomach cancer, your doctor may use radiation therapy before surgery for shrinking the cancer and easily removing the tumor. Or he or she may use it after surgery for killing the left out cancerous cells. Radiation therapy is usually done in combination with chemotherapy for better and long-term results of gastric cancer treatment in India.

Targeted Therapy for Stomach Cancer

Targeted drug treatment module focuses on certain weaknesses of cancerous cells and works by blocking these weaknesses. Targeted drug therapy for stomach cancer can kill cancer cells and thus stop them from further spreading to other organs. It is often combined with chemotherapy for advanced stage stomach cancer or cancer that has recurred after treatment.

Immunotherapy for Stomach Cancer

Immunotherapy is also a drug treatment which helps a patient’s immune system to fight against cancer. Your body’s immune system known for disease-fighting would not be able to attack your stomach cancer because these cancerous cells make proteins which make it hard for your immune system cells to identify those cancerous cells as dangerous to your body. So, Immunotherapy will work by interfering with the above process.

Your life after stomach cancer treatment in India will be a little different from your earlier life as your doctor may ask you to make certain lifestyle and dietary changes now. In a way, you will be leading a healthier life now. You will gradually return to your routine life, but may have to get yourself routinely examined. Make sure you go for all your follow up appointments and stay in regular touch with your treating doctor.