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Information from PDQ for PatientsDESCRIPTIONWhat is cancer of the stomach?Cancer of the stomach, also called gastric cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the stomach. The stomach is a J-shaped organ in the upper abdomen where the food is broken down (digested). Food reaches the stomach through a tube called the esophagus that connects the mouth to the stomach. After leaving the stomach, partially digested food passes into the small intestine and then into the large intestine called the colon.Sometimes cancer can be in the stomach for a long time and can grow very large before it causes symptoms. In the early stages of cancer of the stomach, a patient may have indigestion and stomach discomfort, a bloated feeling after eating, mild nausea, loss of appetite, or heartburn. In more advanced stages of cancer of the stomach, the patient may have blood in the stool, vomiting, weight loss, or pain in the stomach. The chance of getting stomach cancer is higher if the patient has had an infection of the stomach caused by Helicobacter pylori, or if the patient is older, is a man, smokes cigarettes, or frequently eats a diet that includes lots of dry, salted foods. Other factors that increase the chances of getting stomach cancer are a stomach disorder called atrophic gastritis or Menetrier's disease, a disorder of the blood called pernicious anemia, or a hereditary condition of growths (called polyps) in the large intestine. If there are symptoms, a doctor will usually order an upper gastrointestinal x-ray (also called an upper GI series). For this examination, the patient drinks a liquid containing barium, which makes the stomach easier to see in the x-ray. This test is usually performed in a doctor's office or in a hospital radiology department. The doctor may also look inside the stomach with a thin, lighted tube called a gastroscope. This is called a gastroscopy, and it finds most cancers of the stomach. For this test, the gastroscope is inserted through the mouth and guided into the stomach. The doctor may spray a local anesthetic (a drug that causes loss of feeling for a short period of time) into the throat or give the patient other medicine before the test so that no pain is felt. If the doctor sees tissue that is not normal, he or she may cut out a small piece so it can be looked at under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually done during the gastroscopy. The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the stage of the cancer (whether it is just in the stomach or if it has spread to other places) and the patient's general state of health.
STAGE EXPLANATIONStages of cancer of the stomachOnce cancer of the stomach is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The doctor needs to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment. The following stages are used for cancer of the stomach:Stage 0Stage 0 cancer of the stomach is very early cancer. Cancer is found only in the innermost layer of the stomach wall.Stage ICancer is in the second or third layers of the stomach wall and has not spread to lymph nodes near the cancer or is in the second layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor. (Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures that are found throughout the body. They produce and store infection-fighting cells.)Stage IIAny of the following may be true:
Stage IIIAny of the following may be true:
Stage IVCancer has spread to nearby tissues and to lymph nodes further away from the tumor or has spread to other parts of the body.RecurrentRecurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the stomach or in another part of the body such as the liver or lymph nodes.TREATMENT OPTION OVERVIEWHow cancer of the stomach is treatedThere are treatments for most patients with cancer of the stomach. Two kinds of treatment are used:
Surgery is a common treatment of all stages of cancer of the stomach. The doctor may remove the cancer using one of the following operations:
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the stomach. Treatment given after surgery when no cancer cells can be seen is called adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapy for cancer of the stomach is being tested in clinical trials. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy). Biological therapy tries to get the body to fight cancer. It uses materials made by the body or made in a laboratory to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against disease. Biological therapy is sometimes called biological response modifier (BRM) therapy or immunotherapy. Treatment by stageTreatment of cancer of the stomach depends on the stage of the disease, the part of the stomach where the cancer is, and the patient's general health.Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Many patients with cancer of the stomach are not cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. Clinical trials are ongoing in most parts of the country for most stages of cancer of the stomach. To learn more about clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
STAGE 0 GASTRIC CANCERTreatment may be one of the following:
STAGE I GASTRIC CANCERTreatment may be one of the following:
STAGE II GASTRIC CANCERTreatment may be one of the following:
STAGE III GASTRIC CANCERTreatment may be one of the following:
STAGE IV GASTRIC CANCERTreatment may be one of the following:
RECURRENT GASTRIC CANCERTreatment may be chemotherapy to relieve symptoms. Clinical trials are testing new chemotherapy drugs and biological therapy.TO LEARN MORETO LEARN MORE..... CALL 1-800-4-CANCERTo learn more about cancer of the stomach, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615. By dialing this toll-free number, trained information specialists can answer your questions. The Cancer Information Service also has booklets about cancer that are available to the public and can be sent on request. The following booklet about cancer of the stomach may be helpful: The following general booklets on questions related to cancer may also be helpful:
Date Last Modified: 02/1998 If you want to know more about cancer and how it is treated, or if you if you wish to know about clinical trials for your type of cancer, you can call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237, toll free. A trained information specialist can talk with you and answer your questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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