STOMACH CANCER
Overview
Stomach cancer develops when cancer cells form in the stomach's inner lining. These cells have the potential to develop into a tumour. The disease, also known as gastric cancer, usually progresses slowly over many years. You and your doctor may be able to spot it early, when it's easiest to treat, if you know the symptoms it causes.
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What Causes Stomach Cancer and How Can It Be Prevented?
Scientists aren't sure what causes cancer cells to grow in the stomach. However, they are aware of a few factors that can increase your risk of developing the disease. One of them is infection with H. pylori, a common bacteria that causes ulcers. Gastritis, a type of long-term anaemia called pernicious anaemia, and polyps in your stomach can all increase your chances of getting cancer.
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What Causes Stomach Cancer and How Can It Be Prevented?
Scientists aren't sure what causes cancer cells to grow in the stomach. However, they are aware of a few factors that can increase your risk of developing the disease. One of them is infection with H. pylori, a common bacteria that causes ulcers. Gastritis, a type of long-term anaemia called pernicious anaemia, and polyps in your stomach can all increase your chances of getting cancer.
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Other factors that appear to contribute to the risk include:
Smoking, being overweight or obese, eating a diet rich in smoked, pickled, or salty foods, having stomach surgery for an ulcer, having Type-A blood, having Epstein-Barr virus infection, having certain genes, working in the coal, metal, timber, or rubber industries, and being exposed to asbestos are all risk factors.
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Signs and Symptoms
Stomach cancer can cause the following symptoms early on:
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Indigestion
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After eating a meal, you feel bloated(early satiety ).
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nausea, Vomiting food 1 to 2 hours after taking meals.
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Appetite loss.
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pain abdomen.
You don't have cancer just because you have indigestion or heartburn after a meal. However, if you're experiencing a lot of these symptoms, see your doctor. They can check to see if you have any other risk factors and test you to see if you have any issues.
You may experience more serious symptoms as your stomach tumours grow, such as:
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Hematemesis ( blood in vomitus )
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Inability to take food and liquids both ( due to complete blockage in stomach).
Typically, doctors do not perform routine stomach cancer screenings. This is due to the fact that it isn't very common, so getting additional tests isn't always necessary.
However, if you're at a higher risk, talk to your doctor about how to keep an eye out for it. You may undergo some of the same tests that you would undergo if you were experiencing symptoms and seeking a diagnosis.
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Diagnosis
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A physical exam is the first step in determining whether or not you have stomach cancer. They'll also inquire about your medical history to see if you have any risk factors for stomach cancer or if you have any relatives who have been diagnosed with it. Then they may administer some tests, such as:
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Upper endoscopy - to look for signs of cancer in your body. To look into your stomach, your doctor will insert a thin, flexible tube with a small camera down your throat.
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Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) is a type of ultrasound that is performed under a microscope. A thin tube with a camera on the tip is passed down your throat and into your stomach during an endoscopic ultrasound. The images of your stomach are created using a special ultrasound tool. Doctors use endoscopic ultrasound to see how deep a cancer has penetrated the stomach wall.
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Biopsy is a term used to describe a procedure that involves taking a small piece of tissue from your stomach and examined under a microscope for signs of cancer cells. This can be done during endoscopy.
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Imaging tests to see the extent of disease :
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Barium swallow - You'll be given a chalky liquid that contains barium. The liquid coats your stomach, making it more visible on X-rays. This test is not very common now.
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Contrast CT scan of abdomen
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PET scan
Stages :
Stomach cancer can be fought with a variety of treatments. The one you and your doctor choose will be determined by how long you've had the disease and how far it's spread throughout your body, known as the cancer stage:
Zero stage:
This occurs when a group of unhealthy cells forms on the inside lining of your stomach, which could lead to cancer. Surgery is usually effective in curing it. Your doctor may remove all or part of your stomach, as well as nearby lymph nodes, which are small organs that help your body fight infection.
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1st Stage:
You have a tumour in the lining of your stomach, and it may have spread to your lymph nodes at this point.Chemotherapy or chemoradiation may also be used. These treatments can be used to shrink the tumour before surgery and to kill any cancer that remains afterward.
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemoradiation is a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy that uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells.
Stage 2:
The cancer has spread to the stomach's deeper layers and possibly to nearby lymph nodes. The main treatment is still surgery to remove part or all of your stomach, as well as nearby lymph nodes. You'll almost certainly receive chemo or chemoradiation before the procedure, and you may also receive one afterward.
Stage 3:
The cancer may have spread to all layers of the stomach, as well as nearby organs such as the spleen or colon. It could be larger or smaller, but it will reach deep into your lymph nodes.
Surgery to remove your entire stomach is usually combined with chemo or chemoradiation. This can sometimes help you get rid of it. If not, it can at the very least alleviate symptoms.
If you're too sick for surgery, your options are chemo, radiation, or a combination of the two, depending on your body's capabilities.
Stage 4:
Cancer has spread far and wide to organs such as the liver, lungs, and brain at this stage. It's much more difficult to cure, but your doctor can help you manage your symptoms and provide some relief.
A procedure that uses a laser on an endoscope, a thin tube that slides down your throat, to destroy a portion of the tumour.
A stent is a thin metal tube that keeps things flowing. One of these can be put between your stomach and oesophagus, or between your stomach and small intestine. Gastric bypass surgery can be used to create a path around the tumour.
At this stage, chemo, radiation, or both may be used. You might also receive individualised treatment. These drugs target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone, potentially resulting in fewer side effects.
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Medications
Treatment options for stomach cancer are determined by the location, stage, and aggressiveness of the cancer. When developing a treatment plan, your doctor takes into account your overall health as well as your preferences.
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Surgical procedures
The goal of surgery is to remove all of the cancer as well as some of the surrounding healthy tissue.
The following procedures are used to treat stomach cancer:
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1) Getting rid of early-stage tumours in the stomach lining. By passing special tools through an endoscope, very small cancers limited to the inside lining of the stomach can be removed. Endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal resection are two procedures used to remove cancer from the inside lining of the stomach.
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2) Removing a section of the stomach (subtotal gastrectomy). During a subtotal gastrectomy, the surgeon removes the cancerous portion of the stomach as well as some healthy tissue around it. If your stomach cancer is in the part of the stomach closest to the small intestine, this operation may be an option.
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3) Taking out the entire stomach (total gastrectomy). The entire stomach, as well as some surrounding tissue, is removed during a total gastrectomy. To allow food to pass through your digestive system, the oesophagus is connected directly to the small intestine. Total gastrectomy is most commonly used to treat stomach cancers that affect the stomach's body as well as those that are found in the gastroesophageal juncture. Lymph nodes are removed to check for cancer. In order to test for cancer, the surgeon may remove lymph nodes from your abdomen.
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4) Surgical intervention to alleviate signs and symptoms. In people with advanced stomach cancer, an operation to remove a portion of the stomach may relieve the signs and symptoms of a growing cancer.
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Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that kills cancer cells by using chemicals. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout your body, killing cancer cells that have spread outside of your stomach.
Chemotherapy can be used prior to surgery to help shrink the cancer and make it easier to remove. Chemotherapy is also used to kill any cancer cells that remain in the body after surgery. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are frequently used together.
In people with advanced stomach cancer, chemotherapy can be used alone or in combination with targeted drug therapy.
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Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a type of treatment that uses high-powered beams of energy such as X-rays and protons. The energy beams are emitted by a machine that revolves around you while you lie on a table. Before surgery, radiation therapy can be used to shrink stomach cancer so that it can be removed more easily. After surgery, radiation therapy can be used to kill any cancer cells that remain. Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy are frequently used together.
Radiation therapy may be used to relieve side effects caused by a growing cancer, such as pain or bleeding, if advanced stomach cancer cannot be removed with surgery.
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Targeted drug treatments concentrate on specific flaws found in cancer cells. Targeted drug treatments can kill cancer cells by preventing them from exploiting these flaws. For advanced cancers or cancer that returns after treatment, targeted drugs are typically combined with chemotherapy. Your doctor may conduct tests on your cancer cells to determine which targeted drugs are most likely to be effective.
Immunotherapy
It is a drug that boosts your immune system's ability to fight cancer. Because cancer cells produce proteins that make it difficult for immune system cells to recognise them as dangerous, your body's disease-fighting immune system may not attack cancer. Immunotherapy works by interfering with the immune system's natural processes. Immunotherapy may be used to treat stomach cancer if it has progressed, if it returns, or if it has spread to other parts of the body.
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Palliative (supportive) care
Palliative care is a type of medical treatment that focuses on relieving pain and other symptoms associated with a serious illness. Palliative care specialists collaborate with you, your family, and your other doctors to add an extra layer of support to your ongoing treatment. While undergoing aggressive treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, palliative care can be used.
People with cancer may feel better and live longer when palliative care is used in conjunction with all other appropriate treatments.
A team of doctors, nurses, and other specially trained professionals provide palliative care. The goal of palliative care teams is to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. This type of treatment is provided in addition to any curative or other treatments you may be receiving.
What Can I Do to Avoid Stomach Cancer?
Infections of the stomach should be treated. Get treatment if you have ulcers caused by an H. pylori infection. Antibiotics can kill the bacteria, while other medications can heal sores in the stomach lining, lowering your cancer risk.
Eat a balanced diet. Every day, include more fresh fruits and vegetables on your plate. They're high in fibre and vitamins that can help you avoid cancer. Hot dogs, processed lunch meats, and smoked cheeses are examples of foods that are very salty, pickled, cured, or smoked. Maintain a healthy weight, as well. Obesity or being overweight can also increase your risk of developing the disease.
Please don't smoke. If you smoke, your risk of stomach cancer doubles.
Use caution when taking aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you take aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks or NSAIDs for arthritis, talk to your doctor about how these medications may affect your stomach.
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Preventative measures
Maintain a healthy weight to reduce your risk of stomach cancer. If you're overweight or obese, talk to your doctor about weight-loss strategies. Aim for a gradual weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Every day, make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables. Pick a rainbow of colourful fruits and vegetables.
Reduce your consumption of salty and smoked foods. Limit these foods to protect your stomach.
Quit smoking. Quit smoking if you're a smoker. Don't start smoking if you don't already. Smoking increases your chances of developing stomach cancer, as well as a variety of other cancers. Ask your doctor for help if you're having trouble quitting smoking.
Inquire with your doctor about your chances of developing stomach cancer. If you have a higher risk of stomach cancer, talk to your doctor. Tests, such as endoscopy, may be considered by people with a strong family history of stomach cancer to look for signs of stomach cancer.
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