Introduction to Treatment: Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a type of cancer that begins in the stomach. It is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Gastric cancer starts in the cells that line the stomach.
Treatment Programs:
Surgery is usually the main treatment for stomach cancer if it is caught early enough. There are two general surgical options:
Partial Stomach Removal: Involves removing part of the stomach.
Total Gastrectomy: Involves removing the entire stomach. Lymph node dissection is often done simultaneously to remove nearby lymph nodes.
For stage 2 and 3 stomach cancer, surgery may not be the first treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be used first to shrink the cancer:
Chemotherapy: Uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. It may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor or kill any remaining cancer cells.
Supportive Care
People with gastric cancer often have difficulty eating and maintaining adequate nutrition. Nutritional Support can provide patients with dietary counseling and supplemental feeding assistance.
Psychosocial Support is essential to provide psychological and emotional support to patients and their families to help them cope with the emotional burden of cancer.
Personalization of Treatment: Personalized treatment means tailoring treatment to each patient's individual cancer characteristics:
Genetic Testing: Identifying specific gene mutations or biomarkers in a tumor can guide the selection of targeted therapies.
Patient-Specific Factors: Developing a personalized treatment plan based on the patient's overall health, preferences, stage of disease, and potential side effects of treatment.
Future Directions
Improving Early Detection: Enhancing methods for early detection and diagnosis of gastric cancer can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
Developing New Drugs: Creating new drugs that target specific gene mutations or pathways in gastric cancer.
Enhancing Surgical Techniques: Advancing surgical techniques to reduce trauma, shorten recovery time, and improve patients' quality of life.
Commentaires