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Stomach Cancer

Causes & symptoms | The Diagnosis | Questions

Treatment
Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be used alone, or together, to treat cancer of the stomach. Your doctor will plan your treatment by taking into consideration a number of factors including:

Many people find it helpful to talk to a dietician before or soon after their operation for advice about possible changes to their diet. If your hospital does not have a dietician available, please call The Hong Kong Cancer Fund on 2868-0780 for details.

your age
general health
the type and size of the tumour
what it looks like under the microscope
whether it has spread

Surgery
The operation for stomach cancer may involve the removal of all, or part of, the stomach (total or partial gastrectomy). This means that food will now be broken down in the small intestine instead of the stomach.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of special anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. They work by disrupting the growth and division of cancer cells. The drugs are sometimes given orally or, more usually, intravenously (injection into a vein).

If it is not possible to remove the cancer by surgery, doctors may use chemotherapy to try and shrink the cancer so that it is easier for the surgeon to operate.

More commonly, chemotherapy is used when the cancer has spread beyond the stomach where it can help to shrink and control the cancer for a period.

Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is not usually used to treat stomach cancer. This is because the stomach is situated so close to other major organs that it is difficult to give effective treatment without causing many side effects. In the situation where the cancer is advanced and may be causing pain, a small dose of radiotherapy may be very helpful to relieve this symptom.

The Common Side Effects for Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Tiredness

Tips

It is important to drink plenty of fluids and maintain a healthy diet
If you don't feel like eating you could try supplementing your meals with high calorie drinks, which are available at most chemists
During your treatment you should try and get as much rest as you can, especially if you have to travel a long way each day.
Radiotherapy does not make you radioactive and it is perfectly safe for you to be with other people, including children, throughout your treatment