stomach cancer
Stomach cancer is one of the malignant tumors that affect the stomach. Today, the Western world is witnessing a decrease in the prevalence of stomach cancer. Stomach cancer is divided into two types: the first affects the upper part of the stomach, and the second affects the lower part of the stomach.
The incidence rates of the first type, which affects the upper part of the stomach, are higher compared to the other type. However, in developing countries, stomach cancer ranks third in terms of prevalence rates among various cancer diseases.
Stomach cancer in its early stages does not cause any symptoms or signs, which makes it difficult to diagnose. We will review for you some of the most common symptoms of stomach cancer:
1: Feeling tight and uncomfortable.
2: Pains in the upper abdomen.
3: Bloating or vomiting after eating.
4: Lack of appetite.
5: And weight loss.
6: Feeling weak due to anemia.
7: Black stool.
8: Appearance of blood during vomiting
Peptic ulcer disease can sometimes cause symptoms similar to those of stomach cancer.
Is stomach cancer dangerous?
The answer to the question, “Is stomach cancer dangerous?” Yes, as stomach cancer is one of the cancers that does not cause visible symptoms in the early stages of the disease, which makes it difficult to diagnose. Therefore, when the disease is diagnosed, it is in advanced stages, difficult to treat, and the course of the disease and its outcomes are poor.
It is worth noting that there are different types of stomach cancer, and the risk and severity of the disease may vary from one type to another.
Stomach cancer has factors, the most important of which we will review:
After we have answered the question, “Is stomach cancer dangerous?”, we will move on to talk about some of the factors that increase the risk of stomach cancer, and among these factors are the following:
1. The depth of penetration of cancer cells into the stomach wall
The depth of penetration of cancer cells into the stomach wall is one of the most important factors that determine the stage of stomach cancer, the seriousness of the disease, and its amenability to treatment. The more cells penetrate the stomach cells, the more serious the condition is and its potential for relapse after treatment.
2. Lymph node spread
The more lymph nodes the cancer cells spread to, the more difficult the condition and the more likely the patient will relapse after surgery.
Treating stomach cancer with surgery
Treating stomach cancer with surgery is one of the main treatments for stomach cancer, and the type of surgery varies based on the extent of the cancer's spread in or outside the stomach.
Types of operations used to treat stomach cancer include:
1: Partial gastrectomy: This surgery is often performed if cancer is present in the part of the stomach close to the small intestine, in which the part containing the cancer is removed, in addition to some surrounding tissue and nearby affected lymph nodes, and the spleen may also be removed in some cases.
2: Total gastrectomy: This surgery is performed to treat stomach cancer that has spread to a large part of the stomach, or when the cancer is located in the upper part of the stomach near the esophagus. In it, the entire stomach is removed, in addition to nearby lymph nodes, part of the esophagus and small intestine, as well as tissues near the tumor, and the spleen may also be removed. The esophagus is then connected directly to the small intestine so that the patient can eat.
3: Gastric bypass (gastroenterostomy): This surgery is used if the tumor is difficult to remove in advanced stages. To relieve symptoms and complications, the surgeon removes the lower part of the stomach, then connects the upper part to part of the small intestine. To allow food to pass through.
It may be difficult to remove the tumor with standard surgery in some cases in which the tumor blocks the stomach; Therefore,
the doctor may resort to treating stomach cancer without surgery using upper endoscopy to help prevent or relieve symptoms, such as:
- Placing an intraluminal stent: It is a non-surgical procedure in which a thin, expandable tube is inserted laparoscopically to keep the passages open, such as the esophagus. A stent is placed where the esophagus meets the stomach in tumors of the upper part of the stomach. If the tumor is located in the lower part of the stomach, the stent is placed. Where the stomach meets the duodenum.
- Laparoscopic tumor resection: This procedure is used for cases that cannot undergo surgery. An endoscope is inserted with a laser to remove parts of the tumor, and it can also be used to stop bleeding
- Endoscopic mucosal resection
- This procedure is used to treat early stomach cancer, where the endoscope is inserted from the mouth into the lower stomach; To remove the tumor from the stomach lining without surgery. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument equipped with a light and camera to view. Other delicate instruments are also used to remove tumors from the lining of the digestive tract.
- Endoscopy is also used to take a biopsy of the tumor for examination, in addition to its use to treat stomach cancer at its beginning.
The survival rate for 5 years is approximately 70% in cases of treatment of localized stomach cancer that was discovered and treated early before it spreads to the lymph nodes, while in cases in which the cancer has spread to areas near the stomach, it is approximately 32%, but if it has spread Cancer spreads to the rest of the body, and the percentage decreases to 6%.
We wish recovery to every patient. This article is presented by a blog achcairo