Stomach cancer treatment

Stomach cancer is a malignant neoplasm that develops from the cells of the inner lining of the organ. It ranks 2nd among all oncological pathologies after breast cancer in women and lung cancer in men. It is diagnosed mainly in patients aged 40-45 years.

At an early stage, the disease is well treatable. More than 80% of patients who undergo radical surgery for a small tumor make a full recovery. At stage 2, this figure reaches 50%, and at stage 3 - 26%.

The Oxford Medical clinic has a high-tech oncology department with a surgical hospital. Treatment is provided by oncologists and oncological surgeons of the highest category with many years of experience.

Oxford Medical is a large medical center with a modern oncology department. The clinic has all the conditions for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of stomach cancer. We employ some of the best oncologists and surgeons in Kyiv and Ukraine with many years of experience, who are familiar with all modern methods of cancer treatment, including targeted and immunotherapy.

Surgical treatment is performed in a high-tech surgical hospital with two operating rooms, an intensive care unit and intensive care wards. Operations are performed using classical and minimally invasive methods.

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In some cases, severe symptoms of the disease occur only with the development of complications.

Stomach cancer can cause:

• internal bleeding;
• stenosis (narrowing of the lumen and impaired patency of the organ).

Bleeding develops due to prolonged exposure to gastric juice on the tumor, as well as its germination into large vessels. Its symptoms may be vomiting with blood, dizziness, general weakness and loss of consciousness. Anemia may develop against the background of regular blood loss.

Stenosis is also a common complication. It develops when the tumor increases in size and blocks the patency of the organ. As a result, food begins to stagnate, the patient experiences heaviness in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, weakness, dehydration, decreased appetite and weight loss.

The diagnosis can be suggested by such studies as radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, but to clarify the nature of the neoplasm, FEGDS with biopsy and histological analysis is mandatory.

Fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy is an endoscopic study that allows you to examine the inner lining of the digestive organs and take a sample of tumor tissue for analysis. During the study, a thin catheter with a miniature video camera is inserted into the esophagus, the image from which is transmitted to the monitor screen and magnified many times. Thanks to this, the doctor consistently assesses the condition and structure of the organs, having the opportunity to diagnose a tumor of even the smallest size. When it is detected, he takes a tissue sample and sends it for analysis.

Histological analysis allows you to check the morphological features of the cells and determine whether they are malignant. If so, an immunohistochemical analysis is immediately performed to assess the aggressiveness of the tumor.

Also, when diagnosing stomach cancer, in order to determine the stage of the disease, the following may be prescribed:

• general blood, urine and stool tests;
• blood biochemistry;
• blood tests for tumor markers;
• stool analysis for occult blood;
• ultrasound, X-ray, CT or MRI.

Instrumental studies allow you to determine how far the cancer has spread and whether there are metastases. They are mandatory even for small tumors.

The treatment tactics depend on the size of the tumor and the presence of metastases in the lymph nodes and other organs.

In most cases, complex therapy is performed, which includes:

• surgical treatment;
• chemotherapy;
• radiation therapy;
• targeted therapy;
• immunotherapy.

If the tumor is operable, as a rule, surgery is performed first. Endoscopic, laparoscopic or classical access is used for removal. The choice of technique and the volume of manipulations depend on the size and location of the neoplasm.

The following are performed:

• partial resection - removal of the tumor and one third of the stomach;
• distal subtotal resection - removal of the lower parts of the stomach (2/3 of the organs);
• proximal subtotal resection - removal of the upper parts of the stomach (2/3 of the organs);
• gastrectomy - total removal of the stomach with replacement of the organ with tissues of the small intestine;
• tumor removal with resection of adjacent organs – part of the esophagus, pancreas, duodenum and other tissues are removed (pancreatoduodenal resection, or Whipple's operation).

  

Oxford Medical employs top-class oncologists with over 20 years of experience. Thanks to this, as well as the high-tech equipment of the surgical hospital, the clinic performs operations of any complexity.

In addition to surgery, many patients with stomach cancer need chemotherapy, radiation, targeted or immune therapy.

Chemotherapy has a systemic effect on the entire body and allows you to fight distant metastases. It can also be prescribed before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor and after to prevent relapse.

Radiation therapy involves the exposure of the affected area of ​​the body to radiation. It slows the growth of cancer cells and causes their destruction.

Targeted therapy allows you to directly affect the neoplasm, due to the sensitivity of tissues to certain drugs.

Immune therapy is carried out to increase the body's defenses in the fight against the tumor.

For each patient, Oxford Medical doctors create an individual treatment program, taking into account the stage of cancer and general health. They are guided by state and international protocols, using only effective methods with clinically proven effectiveness.