What are the treatments for Stomach Cancer?
If the patient is diagnosed of stomach cancer, doctor will suggest the following treatments to patient:
Surgery to remove stomach cancer
If the cancer is diagnosed early, it could be removed by surgery. Depending on condition, a portion of or the entire stomach might need to be removed with the tumour. Surrounding tissues, lymph nodes around stomach, or sometimes the neighboring organs may also be removed.
In a very early stage of stomach cancer, the cure rate by stomach removal surgery can be as high as 90%.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high-powered radiation beams to destroy cancer cells. It may be used together with chemotherapy after surgery to reduce recurrence and enhance the survival rate after surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. There are drugs for oral administration and intravenous infusion (infusion of drugs into the bloodstream through a vein), mainly after surgery treatment, aiming at preventing recurrence and enhancing the survival rate after surgery. Chemotherapy can also be used as palliative treatment for relieving symptoms and prolonging life.
Targeted therapy and immunotherapy
Some patients may also benefit from target therapy or immunotherapy. In suitable cases, they could be used to enhance the effect of chemotherapy or to be used after chemotherapy to stabilize cancer for a certain period of time when chemotherapy no longer works. Patients may have to pay for these treatments.