|
|||
   |
|||
What are the treatment options?
Suggested Links:
For most patients with stomach cancer, a number of different treatments will be used in combination. Your physician will recommend an individualized treatment plan that may include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, or several of these options used in tandem. Recent studies suggest that combining these treatment approaches for a three-pronged attack on stomach cancer help boost survival rates. The use of multiple treatments is known as combined modality therapy.
Treatments for stomach cancer are based on the stage of the cancer at time of diagnosis. Determination of your best treatment plan is based on the stage of your cancer, as well as your age, other medical conditions, and your attitude toward the available options.
Surgical Procedures
For patients with early-stage stomach cancer, surgery alone may offer a cure. For more advanced cancer, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy may be used after surgery to help prevent cancer recurrence. The postoperative administration of chemotherapy and radiation is known as adjuvant therapy. The two major surgical approaches for stomach cancer are:
We are here for education, support and to help you navigate your way through your diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Call (925) 947-3322.
Subtotal (or Partial) Gastrectomy - Patients with early-stage cancer may undergo a subtotal (or partial) gastrectomy. The cancerous part of the stomach is removed, along with any portions of adjacent organs such as the esophagus or small intestine that may be affected. Adjacent lymph nodes may be removed also.
Total Gastrectomy - Patients with more advanced stomach cancer will undergo a total gastrectomy, in which the entire stomach is removed, along with portions of the esophagus, small intestine, and any other affected organs. Adjacent lymph nodes may be removed also. After total gastrectomy, the esophagus is connected to the small intestine so that patients can still eat normally.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy - or the use of drugs that kill cancer - appears to be most effective against stomach cancer when used in combination with radiation therapy. Combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be administered after surgery (adjuvant therapy) to help prevent recurrence of cancer and to kill any cancerous cells that may not have been removed during surgery. For patients with stomach tumors not considered "resectable" (or conducive to surgical removal), combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be used as the primary therapy. The most effective chemotherapy drugs in current use for stomach cancer are cisplatin and 5-FU. Through its active research program, with regional and national affiliations, John Muir Health can also provide patients with access to investigational chemotherapy agents.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is most effective against stomach cancer when used in combination with chemotherapy. Depending on the stage of stomach cancer, combined radiation and chemotherapy may be administered after surgery, or used alone as the primary therapy. In some advanced cancers, radiation therapy may be used alone to help alleviate painful symptoms. The type of radiation therapy used in stomach cancer is external beam radiation, in which the stomach is radiated from outside the body via a precisely targeted beam of radiation from special equipment called a linear accelerator. Before radiation therapy, patients may be given radiosensitizing chemotherapy drugs, which help to enhance the cancer-killing efficiency of radiation.
Our state-of-the-art equipment includes five linear accelerators and two dedicated CT scanners to ensure the most precise and effective radiation therapy available. The advanced radiation therapy capabilities at John Muir Health include:
Three-Dimensional Conformal Treatment - This sophisticated form of external beam therapy uses a computerized treatment planning system that optimizes radiation therapy by pinpointing the location of the tumor with the highest level of precision possible. This capability is important in planning the most effective therapies for stomach cancer. Special features on the linear accelerator called multi-leaf collimators enable the radiation beam to be "shaped" to closely conform to the contours of the tumor. This permits a higher dose of radiation to be administered directly to the stomach, while diminishing the radiation dose to surrounding tissue, thereby increasing cancer-killing effectiveness while minimizing toxicity.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a newly introduced enhancement of the technology used in three-dimensional conformal therapy. Specialized treatment planning software is used to development a precise plan that "modulates" or varies the radiation used in each treatment session. The highest possible doses of radiation can be applied directly to the stomach, while lower doses are applied to areas adjacent to organs and critical structures that need to be protected.