digestive disorders
Stomach Cancer
Treatment of Stomach Cancer
Surgery Sometimes chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) If the cancer hasnotspread beyond the stomach, surgery is usually done to try to cure it. Removal of the entire tumor before it has spread offers the only hope of cure. Most or all of the stomach and nearby lymph nodes are removed. If the cancerhasspread beyond the stomach, surgery cannot cure the condition, but it is sometimes used to relieve symptoms. For example, if the passage of food is obstructed at the far end of the stomach, a bypass operation, in which an alternate connection is made between the stomach and the small intestine, allows food to pass. This connection relieves the symptoms of obstruction—pain and vomiting—at least for a while. Depending on the cancer, some people are given chemotherapy or chemoradiation before or after surgery. People who are not having surgery are given chemotherapy or chemoradiation. Chemotherapy or chemoradiation may help relieve symptoms but does little to increase survival. Immunotherapy for Cancer enhances the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. Immunotherapy drugs, such as 