How to check for gastric cancer?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on September 14, 2024
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Gastroscopy is very important in the examination of gastric cancer, and taking a biopsy under gastroscopy is an important means of diagnosis. Other examinations include endoscopic ultrasound or enhanced abdominal CT and chest CT to assess the staging of the patient. With endoscopic ultrasound, we can see which layer of the stomach wall the tumor has invaded and then combine it with chest and abdominal CT scans to assess whether there is distant metastasis. Diagnosis requires gastroscopy with a biopsy taken during the procedure.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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What can stomach cancer patients eat?

Gastric cancer refers to a malignant tumor that occurs in the gastric mucosal epithelium. Special attention should be paid to the diet, appropriately supplementing with multivitamins and consuming more fresh foods, such as fresh green vegetables and fruits. The diet should be diverse to avoid favoring certain foods overly and to ensure the intake of a variety of nutrients. It is also necessary to eat some meat for protein, avoid moldy foods, reduce the consumption of pickled, salted, smoked foods, and those rich in nitrites, and avoid the irritation from strong tea, coffee, and hard liquor. In addition to dietary measures, active treatment for early-stage gastric cancer can include endoscopic mucosal resection, or one may opt for a major gastric resection surgery or radiotherapy, while maintaining a good psychological state and sufficient sleep.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Can stomach cancer be cured?

Whether gastric cancer can be cured depends greatly on the stage at which it is discovered. Clinically, if there is no recurrence or metastasis within five years, it is considered cured. The treatment of gastric cancer is primarily surgical. Therefore, for early-stage gastric cancer patients, if a surgeon assesses that curative surgery is feasible, it is recommended to perform a radical surgical resection. For stage I gastric cancer patients, the five-year survival rate after surgical treatment can generally reach over 90%, which is quite effective. However, for those with advanced gastric cancer, it is generally incurable. Treatments, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or optimal symptomatic supportive care, aim to alleviate the patient's suffering and extend their life, but generally cannot cure advanced gastric cancer.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

Symptoms of gastric cancer, especially in the early stages, generally include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, discomfort or bloating in the upper abdomen, pain, and acid reflux as some of the gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as vomiting blood and black stools. Black stools are tar-like stools, and their occurrence indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, if the tumor causes pyloric obstruction, the patient will vomit food eaten the night before, be completely unable to eat, and experience a significant weight loss. In even more advanced stages, gastric cancer patients may develop a cachectic state.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How is stomach cancer treated?

The treatment for gastric cancer now includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, among others. The specific treatment plan is formulated based on various factors such as the staging of the cancer, the patient's overall condition, and the presence of any underlying diseases, which are all taken into consideration before deciding on a treatment plan. For patients in the early stages who are generally in good condition, surgical resection can be evaluated and is primarily curative. Post-operative treatment decisions, such as whether to pursue adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, depend on the pathology results and the presence of high-risk factors for recurrence. For patients in advanced stages who are found to have distant metastases upon diagnosis, treatment is primarily chemotherapy. Additionally, there are broad-spectrum targeted therapies against angiogenesis, such as apatinib, which are suitable for patients with advanced gastric cancer or those who do not respond well to chemotherapy, serving as a secondary or tertiary line of treatment. These are some of the treatment methods for gastric cancer. It is crucial that the use of any medication is conducted under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Can stomach cancer be cured? Can stomach cancer be cured?

Early-stage gastric cancer patients can undergo curative surgery, and then decide whether postoperative adjuvant radiochemotherapy is needed based on the specific pathological type and the presence of high-risk recurrence factors. Through these treatments, a cure can be achieved. Generally, if there is no recurrence or metastasis within five years, it is considered cured. For example, patients in stage IA, even without adjuvant chemotherapy, have a relatively high five-year survival rate, generally above 90% after curative surgery. However, if it is found to be advanced-stage, such as initial detection showing distant metastases to the liver, lungs, etc., these patients are primarily treated with systemic chemotherapy or symptomatic palliative care. In such cases, a cure is not achievable. Therefore, whether a cure is possible depends on the stage of gastric cancer and factors such as the patient's basic physical condition.