Stomach Cancer Treatment
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Stomach cancer treatment
Stomach cancer treatment largely depends on the stage the
cancer has reached. Surgery is an option any stage of stomach
cancer.
The purpose of surgery as a stomach cancer treatment
may be
- to remove the cancer itself, or
- to relieve discomfort from the symptoms of cancer.
The first step is normally a CT scan or a laparoscopy. This
will help your doctor determine the stage.
However, it may be impossible to determine the stage without
stomach surgery because specimens may need to be taken from the
stomach. But your doctor may not be able to tell you exactly
how far the cancer has progressed with a lab analysis, and that
requires getting a surgical sample from the stomach itself. A
pathologist looks at the specimen under a microscope and makes
a judgment which give the most accurate measure of the cancer
stage.
Stomach cancer can sometimes be cured by removing the
cancerous part of the stomach. The percentage of the
stomach that will be removed depends of course, on where the
cancer is located and how big the tumor has grown.
A subtotal gastrectomy is a common surgical stomach cancer
treatment. This is when surgeon removes a part of the stomach,
and possibly some lymph nodes. The procedure might also include
removing the spleen.
If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or to the liver,
you may also need chemotherapy.
In some cases, surgery is performed to relieve symptoms. The
goal of this type of stomach cancer surgery is to give the
patient a better quality of life for as long as possible.
Surgery of this kind is typical if the tumor has blocked the
entrance or exit areas of the stomach.
An important part of stomach cancer treatment
is determining if the Helicobacter pylori bacterium is present
in the stomach. Helicobacter pylori, which is also known as H.
pylori, appears to be a cancer-causing agent. It's
believed this bacterium damages the DNA in the cells of the
stomach lining, which may eventually lead to stomach cancer. If
H. pylori is discovered during the course of surgery, the
doctor may prescribe an agressive antibiotic therapy to kill
it.
If stomach cancer has reached an advanced
stage, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy may be necessary in
addition to surgery. Chemotherapy is intended to kill cancer
cells or prevent them form dividing and growing.
Chemotherapy can be done orally or intravenously. It can
also be accomplished or by directly introducing the
chemotherapy compounds into the spine, organs, abdominal
cavity.
Chemoradiation, which is also called adjuvant therapy,
combines radiation with chemotherapy.
There's a growing body of research into stomach cancer
treatment. Some treatment regimens are considered standard,
while others are experimental.
As always, it's best to work closely with a physician to
determine the best possible course of stomach cancer
treatment.
Related items include stomach
cancer basics, spotting a symptom of stomach
cancer, and stomach cancer
prevention.
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