Stomach cancer also known as gastric cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that begins in the stomach.
Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer may include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Feeling bloated after eating
- Indigestion & Heartburn
- Stomach pain
- Unintentional weight loss
- Nausea & Vomiting
- Vomiting Blood
- Passing black-coloured stools.
After Diagnosis the stage of your stomach cancer will decide which treatments may be best for you. An Endoscopy and Contrast Enhanced CT scan will be required to establish the stage. Other blood and imaging tests also may be needed.
Treatment options for stomach cancer depend on the cancer’s location, stage and aggressiveness. The goal of surgery is to remove all of the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it.
Operations used for stomach cancer include:
- Removing early-stage tumors from the stomach lining. Very small cancers limited to the inside lining of the stomach may be removed by passing special tools through an endoscope. Procedures to cut away cancer from the inside lining of the stomach include endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal resection.
- Removing part of the stomach (subtotal gastrectomy). During subtotal gastrectomy, the surgeon removes the part of the stomach affected by cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it. This operation may be an option if your stomach cancer is located in the part of the stomach nearest the small intestine.
- Removing the entire stomach (total gastrectomy). Total gastrectomy involves removing the entire stomach and some surrounding tissue. The esophagus is then connected directly to the small intestine to allow food to move through your digestive system. Total gastrectomy is used most often for stomach cancers that affect the body of the stomach and those that are located in the gastroesophageal junction.
- Removing lymph nodes to look for cancer. The surgeon may remove lymph nodes in your abdomen to test them for cancer.
- Surgery to relieve signs and symptoms. An operation to remove part of the stomach may relieve signs and symptoms of a growing cancer in people with advanced stomach cancer.
