Treatment

• Surgery

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation Therapy

The option of treatment depends mainly on the size and location of the tumor, the stage of disease, and the general health.

Treatment for stomach cancer may be surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. You'll probably obtain more than one type of treatment. For example, chemotherapy may be provided before or after surgery. It's often provided at the same time as radiation therapy.

Surgery

The kind of surgery for stomach cancer depends mainly on where the cancer is located. The surgeon may remove the entire stomach or only the part that has the cancer.

• Partial (subtotal) gastrectomy for tumors at the lower part of the stomach: The surgeon takes away the lower region of the stomach with the cancer. The surgeon connects the remaining part of the stomach to the intestine. Nearby lymph nodes and further tissues may also be removed.

• Total gastrectomy for tumors at the upper part of the stomach: The surgeon removes the whole stomach, nearby lymph nodes, parts of the esophagus and small intestine, and other tissues near the tumor. Occasionally the spleen also may be removed. The surgeon then joins the esophagus directly to the small intestine.

The time it takes to cure after surgery is different for each person, and you may be in the hospital for a week or longer. You might have pain for the first few days. Medicine can assist manage the pain. Before surgery, you should talk about the plan for pain relief with the doctor or nurse. After surgery, your doctor can adjust the plan if you require more pain relief.

Many people who have stomach surgery believe tired or weak for a while. Health care team will observe for signs of bleeding, infection, or other problems that may require treatment.

The surgery can also reason constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms generally can be controlled with diet changes and medicine.

Chemotherapy

The majority of the people with stomach cancer get chemotherapy. Chemotherapy employs drugs to kill cancer cells.

It may be provided before or after surgery. After surgery, radiation therapy may be provided along with chemotherapy.

The drugs that treat stomach cancer are regularly given through a vein (intravenous). You'll probably get a combination of drugs.

You may obtain chemotherapy in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. Some people require staying in the hospital during treatment.
The side effects depend mostly on which drugs are given and how much. Chemotherapy kills fast-growing cancer cells, but the drugs can also harm normal cells that separate rapidly:

• Blood cells: When drugs lower the levels of healthy blood cells, you're more expected to get infections, bruise or bleed simply, and feel very weak and tired. Health care team will verify for low levels of blood cells. If levels are low, health care team may stop the chemotherapy for a while or reduce the dose of the drug. There are also medicines that can help body to generate new blood cells.

• Cells in hair roots: Chemotherapy may cause hair loss and if you lose hair, it will grow back after treatment, but the color and texture may be varied.

• Cells that line the digestive tract: Chemotherapy can cause a diarrhea, poor appetite, mouth and lip sores and nausea and vomiting. Health care team can give medicines and advise other ways to help with these problems. They generally go away when treatment ends.

Some drugs used for stomach cancer also may cause a hearing loss, skin rash and tingling or numbness in hands and feet. Health care team can advise ways to control many of these side effects.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy (also named as radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It affects cells only in the region of the body that is treated. Radiation therapy is generally given with chemotherapy to treat stomach cancer.

The radiation appears from a large machine outside the body. You'll go to a hospital or consulting room for treatment. Treatments are generally 5 days a week for several weeks.

Side effects depend mainly on the dose and form of radiation. External radiation therapy to the chest and abdomen may cause a painful throat, pain similar to heartburn, or pain in the stomach or the intestine. You may contain nausea and diarrhea. Health care team can give medicines to prevent or manage these problems.

It's general for the skin in the treated area to become red, dry, tender, and itchy.
You're likely to become very tired during radiation therapy, particularly in the later weeks of treatment. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay active, unless it directs to pain or other problems.

Although the side effects of radiation therapy can be distressing, doctor can usually treat or manage them. Also, side effects usually exit away after treatment ends.