What is Gastric Cancer? Know What Treatments are Available Now

The word Cancer can send shivers down anyone’s spine. However, with the evolution of technology, today there are many more treatment options available, with evidence-based procedures proving that cancer is curable if detected at the right time.

What we are going to talk about here is Gastric Cancer, one of the commonly detected types of cancers.

What is Gastric Cancer? Let’s understand more about it.

Gastric Cancer
In simple terms, Gastric cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in your stomach. Also referred to as Stomach cancer, the earlier these cancer cells are identified, the more favourable the result will be.  Gastric cancer treatment depends upon the severity of the symptoms and the stage at which the cancer is presently identified.

Symptoms
Oncologists associated with treating gastric cancer indicate that the following symptoms should not be ignored.

  • A bloated stomach after a meal
  • Heartburn
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Indigestion
  • Abdominal pain
  • Rapid loss of weight
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhoea

Causes of Gastric Cancer
It is important to understand the factors that can put you at risk of developing gastric cancer. These can include.

  • Bacterial infections
  • Viral infections
  • Weak immune system
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Previous history of major stomach disorders
  • Inherited cancers

Stomach Cancer Treatment Options.
There are many options available to treat this complicated disease. How soon you diagnose it can work well in your favour. 

  • Chemotherapy
    This is a proven process that kills cancer cells with a sustained dose of medications. Sometimes, this process is recommended along with a surgery, depending on the complexity of the issue. It can be given before or after a surgery.
  • Radiation
    This process makes use of high-energy rays that destroy cancer cells. At times, it is recommended along with chemotherapy.
  • Targeted Therapy
    There is every possibility that patients with Gastric cancer can feel varied symptoms at various stages. To address these changes, Targeted Therapy is recommended, which acts on only those factors that could have led to these changes and destroys the cancer cells.
  • Immunotherapy
    This process involves treating cancer with the help of your body’s own immune system. Certain medications are prescribed as a part of this process.
  • Surgical Intervention
    Depending upon the complexity of the issue, doctors may recommend a surgical intervention. The types of surgeries that are commonly performed include Total Gastrectomy (Removal of the entire Stomach) or Subtotal Gastrectomy (Partial removal of the affected stomach). These are recommended only if the situation becomes a life-threatening issue.

Learning as much as possible about Gastric Cancer will help you understand the process and prepare for the same. Knowing why doctors are making certain recommendations and what their effectiveness is can take some of the uncertainty out of the treatment journey.

Hence, if you or your loved one is looking for whom to connect with for professional counselling and support on treating Stomach cancer, connect with our doctors at Sagar Hospital today. With an excellent track record of having addressed some of the most complex types of cancer successfully, including gastric cancer, our distinguished team of oncologists and oncosurgeons are known to combine efficiency and brilliance in using the latest technology to get the best and most favourable outcome for all our patients.

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