Treatment Options for Stomach Cancer

Stomach Cancer or gastric cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs when the cell growth rate becomes very high. It is different from other cancers and relatively difficult to diagnose. This is also because the development of stomach cancer is very slow, and the early symptoms often go unnoticed, claims a cancer hospital in Indore, Shalby Hospital.

The stomach has five parts: Fundus, Cardia, Body, Antrum, and Pylorus, and cancer in each part have different effects. The best cancer hospital in Indore says they have to be treated differently. While there is no sure shot cure for cancer, it can be treated with different methods, and in some cases, it can be removed by surgery.

Stomach cancer treatment is a combination of various treatments. Therefore it requires a multidisciplinary team consisting of a Gastroenterologist, Surgical Oncologist, Medical Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist, Pathologist, and Radiologist. The entire team works together to figure out the best and most efficient treatment method for the patient.

Treatment Options For Cancer

Given below are three different options recommended for cancer treatment in Indore for a Cancer patient.

1. Surgery- Surgery is performed to remove the tumour along with some healthy tissue. It is recommended in only the early stages of cancer when cancer is still contained inside the stomach. In the very early stage, the tumour is removed by endoscopy. However, in stage 1, partial gastrectomy is performed. Regional lymph nodes are also removed by lymphadenectomy as a precaution.

2. Radiation Therapy- High-intensity x-rays are used to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy is performed in a specific number of sessions over a specific period of time. For stomach cancer, x-rays are bombarded from outside the body. Before surgery, it helps to shrink the tumour and post-surgery to get rid of any remaining cancer cells.

3. Medication Therapy- Also known as systemic therapy, it uses different drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs use the bloodstream to attack the cancer cells present in the body. These drugs can be introduced into the body using either an IV tube or orally. There are three types of medication therapies, as explained below:

• Chemotherapy- Chemotherapy uses one or more drugs to destroy cancer cells. It prevents cancer from growing. Chemotherapy is performed in a set number of cycles over a period of time. Chemotherapy helps in reducing the symptoms, and post-therapy, it destroys any remaining cancer cells. Commonly used drugs in chemotherapy are Cisplatin, Oxaliplatin, and Fluorouracil.
• Immunotherapy- Immunotherapy or biological therapy uses the immune system to fight cancer. Cancer weakens the immune system. Therefore, laboratory-made substances are introduced in the body to boost immunity. In advanced stages of stomach cancer, having PD-L1 or MSI-H, when chemotherapy does not work, doctors tend to use pembrolizumab for immunotherapy.
• Targeted Therapy- In targeted therapy, doctors test the cancer tissue for genes and proteins in the tumour. Then treatment is planned to target those specific genes and proteins to hinder its growth. It helps in preventing cancer from spreading to healthy tissues. Targeted therapy for stomach cancer consists of HER2-Targeted therapy that neutralizes the HER2 protein and Anti-angiogenesis therapy that starves the tumour.

If you have been suffering from any medical condition, reach out to the best oncologist in Indore at Shalby Hospitals. We have a team of the best cancer doctors & radiation oncologists in Indore who have successfully treated numerous cases of cancer over the years of their medical practice.