Stomach cancer, sometimes also known as gastric cancer, is a disease in which cancer cells form on the stomach lining. In order to choose the best stomach cancer treatment, it is normally necessary to consult a doctor or other health specialist. A number of different stages occur as the cancer progresses in the stomach. While treatment is available for each stage of stomach cancer, the method and scope of interventions may differ depending on the stage of the cancer.
Surgery may be the most common stomach cancer treatment. This method is used at all stages of the disease. Generally speaking, there are two different kinds of surgery used to treat this kind of cancer. Subtotal gastrectomy is a procedure in which only a portion of the stomach is taken out. Surrounding tissue and organs may also need to be removed.
The other kind of surgical stomach cancer treatment is total gastrectomy. This is a procedure in which the whole stomach is removed from the body. This procedure also may require that surrounding tissue and organs be removed. In some cases, the small intestine and the esophagus, which is connected to the small intestine, may also need to be taken out.
Another kind of common stomach cancer treatment is chemotherapy. This is a drug that is typically either taken orally by the patient or injected into a muscle or vein. The chemotherapy drug kills cancer cells and in some cases impairs the cells from dividing and spreading.
Radiation is a stomach cancer treatment that uses x-rays to stop the cancer from spreading. This treatment may also be used to kill cancer cells. There are two primary methods in which radiation therapy is administered: internally with catheters or needles, or externally through the use of a radiation machine. The method by which the radiation is administered depends on the stage of the cancer and the health of the patient.
Finally, chemoradiation is a treatment that combines both chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatment. This treatment is often given to patients who have already been through surgery. In these cases, chemoradiation is used to increase the chances of curing the cancer.
In addition to the routine medical treatments for stomach cancer many patients have the opportunity to ask their doctors or medical specialists about experimental treatments. These are treatments that are tested in clinical trials. The doctor or specialist may have the final say in which is the best treatment after analyzing the stage of the cancer, the health of the patient, and the effectiveness of potential treatments.
