Gastric Cancer

Overview: Gastric cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths and the sixth most common cancer that affects the stomach. It occurs when the cells in the stomach lining start mutating and grow into a tumour. They can affect the digestive process and prevent it from absorbing necessary minerals. However, they usually grow slowly but can spread into the other organs over the years. What are the symptoms of gastric cancer? Gastric cancer may cause no signs or symptoms in the early stages. Most symptoms occur when cancer has advanced and start to interfere with the digestive process. These symptoms are:

• Indigestion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dysphagia
• Postprandial fullness
• Heartburn
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Melena or pallor from anaemia
• Hematemesis

Gastric cancers are highly curable in the early stages. So if you experience these symptoms for more than a week, you should consult with our doctors for prompt evaluation. What are the risk factors associated with gastric cancer? Gastric cancer is caused when cells in the stomach lining start to mutate and turn malignant. While the exact causes of these cell mutation are unknown, several diseases and lifestyle choices can significantly increase the risk of developing gastric cancer in the future, such:

• Indigestion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dysphagia
• Postprandial fullness
• Heartburn
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Melena or pallor from anaemia
• Hematemesis

Diagnosis: To assess the risk of gastric cancer, our doctor will check your medical history to see if you have any risk factors for stomach cancer. If they suspect gastric cancer, they will order various tests to rule out other digestive problems and confirm the diagnosis. These tests may include:

• Physical examination to check for lumps or abnormalities in the abdominal area.
• Blood tests to check for cancer markers and measure the number of blood cells, haemoglobin and platelets.
• Imaging tests to identify the tumour and determine its size and growth.
• Upper GI series test in which the patient consumes a fluid that makes the tumour show up more clearly on X-rays.
• Endoscopy to check the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum for any abnormalities by inserting an endoscope through the mouth.

Treatment: Treatment for gastric cancer depends on the cancer’s location, stage and extent. After evaluating possible complications and the patient’s preference, our doctors provide the most effective treatment option for gastric cancer, which can include: Surgery: Our doctors will surgically remove the tumour and the surrounding tissues to cure cancer and ensure no recurrence. They may perform various methods to perform this surgery, which are:

• Endoscopic mucosal resection: To remove precancerous polyps from the digestive tract, our surgeon will pass special tools through an endoscope to cut away the tumour from the inside lining of the stomach.
• Subtotal gastrectomy: To treat cancer, they will remove a part of the stomach and the surrounding tissues that have been affected by the tumour.
• Total gastrectomy: To treat advanced gastric cancers, they will remove the entire stomach along with the tumour.
• Esophagogastrectomy: To remove the tumours located in the gastroesophageal junction, they will remove the stomach and connect the oesophagus to the small intestine so food can move through the digestive system.

Radiation therapy: Our radiation oncologist will use radiation after surgery to damage or destroy residual cancer cells. It can be used in combination with chemotherapy to improve the outcomes. Chemotherapy: Our doctors use a group of anticancer drugs to stop cancer from recurrence. Cancer cells absorb the drugs faster than normal cells, thus slowing their growth. Chemotherapy can be given in various forms like tablets, capsules, injection and through peripheral lines or central lines.