Stomach Cancer

• Considering the overwhelming effects of stomach cancer, early detection and eradication are utmost essential to get trapped yourself into the safer zone.
• Stomach cancer initially starts to develop in the layers of the stomach and usually migrates to other regions over the years.
• Common symptoms occur when cancer starts growing such as stomach pain, difficulty in swallowing, Nausea, and vomiting, weight loss or sometimes blood vomiting.
• We perform some special tests to confirm your stomach cancer diagnosis. Some of these tests are a physical examination and medical history, laboratory tests, Biopsy method, Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, and Imaging.
• So now if you have been diagnosed with stomach cancer, our surgeon along with the cancer team approaches you with best treatments after considering your age, general state of health, personal preferences into account.
• The treatment options depend on two main factors such as Location of cancer and Spread of cancer. The treatment methods we usually follow are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and immunotherapy.
• Some may see immediate results and benefits after undergoing the treatment while for others the treatment may provoke some side effects.

Stomach cancer is estimated to be the fifth most common type of cancer that tends to develop over the course of several years. It is staged between I to IV, according to how far cancer has spread in layers of the wall of the stomach. Below are the types of gastric cancer

• Adenocarcinoma - It occurs in gland cells in the lining of the stomach. These cells make and release mucus and other fluids.
• Lymphoma - It is the cancer of lymphatic cells/ lymphoid tissues that form part of the immunity system.
• Carcinoid Cancer - It is a specific type of neuroendocrine tumour, which means they come from cells of the nervous system and endocrine system and can secrete hormones called serotonin.
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumor - It is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissue of the gastrointestinal tract that helps in digestion.

Though it is hard to diagnose stomach cancer, early diagnosis can help in beating the disease. The only way is to keep a watch for early signs and symptoms. These include:

• Indigestion
• Feeling bloated after you eat a meal
• Heartburn
• Slight nausea
• Loss of appetite

• Stomach pain
• Blood in urine or stool
• Frequent nausea and vomiting
• Unexplained weight loss
• Trouble swallowing
• Yellowish eyes or skin
• Swelling in stomach
• Bloating
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Weakness or tiredness
• Heartburn or Indigestion
• Loss of appetite Low red blood count (anaemia)

• Upper GI endoscopy: An instrument namely endoscope is passed into the throat to reach oesophagus that gives a check to the abnormal areas of stomach, duodenum, or oesophagus.
• Barium swallow: A fluid containing barium (silver-white metallic compound) is made to drink by the person before carrying X-ray. The liquid forms a coating over the oesophagus and stomach making it possible to take an X-ray to diagnose the stage of cancer.
• CT scan: This method is used to get detailed pictures of areas inside the body which are taken from different angles and the pictures are printed on a computer linked to an x-ray machine. CT scan procedure is also named as computerized tomography, computed tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
• Biopsy: Biopsy is done by removing cells or tissues and viewed under a microscope for diagnosing signs of cancer.
• Blood tests: Blood sample are collected and tested for amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the stomach.

• Stage 1: cancer at this initial stage spreads to the main muscular layer of the stomach wall and to one or two nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 2: At this stage, cancer spread to three to six lymph nodes and to the outer covering of the stomach layer and all set to affect nearby organs.
• Stage 3: The cancerous cells jump to nearby organs like spleen, intestine, liver, pancreas, or major blood vessels.
• Stage 4: This is the most advanced stage in which cancer starts to attack secondary sites such as brain, lungs, liver or bones which is of more metastatic.

General statistics give the survival of stomach cancer stage wise in a five-year survival rate approximation.
Stage 1
Stage 1A: No penetration. The survival rate is more than 70%.
Stage 1B: 1 – 2 nearby lymph nodes or the main muscular layer of the stomach wall is affected, and the survival rate is 57%.

Stage 2
Stage 2A: One or two lymph nodes and the main muscular layer or to 3 – 6 lymph nodes are affected or penetration through the main muscular layer to subserosa. The survival rate is 46%.
Stage 2B: Outer covering of stomach or to main layer muscular layer and 3 – 6 lymph nodes or to 7 or more lymph nodes are affected. The survival rate is 33 %.

Stage 3
Stage 3A: Main muscular layer and 7 or more lymph nodes or subserosal layer and 3 – 6 lymph nodes are affected. Survival rate 20%.
Stage 3B: 7 or more lymph nodes are affected or penetration through serosa into a nearby organ. The survival rate is 14%.
Stage 3C: penetration to serosa and 7 or more lymph nodes affected or nearby organ and 3 or more lymph nodes are affected. The survival rate is 9%

Stage 4
Cancer reaches far away organs, and the survival rate is as low as 4%.

The statistics are not the only predictor. Expert advice from Dr. Rudra Acharya will provide you with a better insight into your cancer and the journey forward.

Max Institute of Cancer Care is equipped with cutting-edge technology with which our team of oncology experts offer holistic care to patients. Your treatment of stomach cancer depends on how long you've had the disease or how much it has spread in your body, called the stage of your cancer. Below are some common procedures used:

Surgery

Part of your stomach or other tissues nearby that have cancer cells will be removed. Surgery gets rid of the tumour and stops cancer from spreading to other parts of your body. If your disease is in a more advanced stage, the doctor might need to remove all of your stomach. The same surgery for the stomach can be done by Minimal Invasive Technique (Keyhole surgery).

Chemotherapy

Drugs kill your cancer cells or keep them from growing. You can take them as pills or through an IV at a clinic. Chemotherapy usually takes several weeks. The drugs can cause side effects, but your doctor can help you find ways to feel better during treatment.

Radiation Therapy

High-energy waves or particles can kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. Your doctor may use an X-ray or other machines to beam radiation at the spot where your tumour is.

Chemoradiation

Your doctor might use this mix of chemotherapy and radiation to shrink your tumour before surgery.

Targeted Therapy

It is the use of powerful drugs to treat cancer cells. The newer drugs prescribed at Max Institute of Cancer Care are different because they fight only cancer cells.

If proper treatment is not undergone to lock the inevitable multiplication of your disastrous cancer cells, it causes two major issues such as serious life-threatening complications and drastic stage-wise metastasis.
The most common complications of this cancer are:

• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Gastric perforation
• Small Bowel Obstruction

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