Stomach Cancer

• Difficulty swallowing
• Feeling of bloating and fullness after having a meal Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stomach aches
• Unexplained, unintentional weight loss

If you experience a combination of the symptoms mentioned above persistently that worries you; you can visit Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai and get an appointment with an expert doctor.

Like many other cancers, the exact cause of stomach cancer is not known. However, certain risk factors increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. Stomach cancer begins as a result of changes or mutations in a cell of the stomach. Normally, the DNA of a cell regulates its functions, including growth and multiplication. When the DNA is mutated, the cells start multiplying uncontrollably and accumulate, resulting in the formation of a tumour. If left untreated, the tumour tends to spread or metastasize to other body parts with time.

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD
• Obesity
• A diet containing excessive amounts of salt and smoked foods
• A diet deficient in fruits and vegetables
• Family history of stomach cancer
• Helicobacter pylori infection
• Long-term gastritis
• Smoking
• Presence of polyps in the stomach

• Aim for a healthy weight
  If you are overweight or obese, you must take measures to lose weight. You can start by cutting out on junk food and increasing your physical activity. If you are within normal weight, you should try to maintain it by consuming a balanced diet and exercising regularly. Decrease the amount of salty and smoked foods in your diet to protect your stomach.
• Quit smoking
  If you are a smoker, look for ways to quit smoking. If you are not, don't start. Smoking increases the risk of developing not only stomach cancer but many other cancers, including lung cancer and bladder cancer. Quitting smoking can be very difficult for a chronic smoker. If you are struggling with it, you can ask a doctor for help. There are techniques and medicines available that help deal with the problem.
• Get an appointment with a doctor
  If you are at a higher risk of developing stomach cancer, talk to a doctor. Based on the degree of risk and your overall condition, he may suggest you get some screening tests done.

Certain tests and procedures may be used to confirm the diagnosis of stomach cancer:

• Upper GI endoscopy
  A thin tube-like structure containing a tiny camera is passed down the throat into the stomach to visualize the internal structures for any signs of cancer or abnormality.
• Biopsy
  This procedure is suggested for highly suspected cases of malignancy. It involves the removal of a sample of the stomach tissue for histopathological testing.
• Imaging tests
  Imaging tests like barium swallow and CT scans are used to look for stomach cancer.

After a diagnosis of cancer is established, it is very important to stage cancer and determine the extent of its spread. Tests used for this purpose include CT scans and PET scans. Sometimes an exploratory surgery is performed to look for signs of the spread of the stomach cancer beyond the stomach. Such a surgery is usually performed using a minimally invasive laparoscopic approach, which means that several small cuts are made in the abdomen instead of a single large one to achieve a speedy recovery.

The information derived from these procedures is used for staging the cancer. The different stages are denoted by Roman numerals that range from 0 to IV. Stage 0 indicates that the cancer is small and confined to the inner layers of the stomach, while stage IV indicates an advanced disease that may have spread to other parts of the body. The staging of cancer plays a very important role in formulating the treatment plan as well as in predicting the prognosis.

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital is the best hospital for Stomach Cancer treatment in Navi Mumbai. Our oncology team comprises the best doctors for Gastric Tumours in Navi Mumbai who combine the quality and technology of the state-of-the-art equipment with their experience and skill. The treatment plan is dependent on many factors, including the location, stage, aggressiveness, and extent of spread of cancer. The patient's overall health and personal choices are also considered while formulating the treatment plan. The mainstay of stomach cancer treatment is surgery, which may be combined with other procedures like chemotherapy and radiation therapy to improve the outcome.

Surgery

Surgery for stomach cancer aims to remove all of cancer along with a margin of healthy tissue surrounding it.

• Endoscopic procedures
  For early-stage and small cancers confined to the inner lining of the stomach, endoscopic procedures are used. They involve removing cancer with the help of special tools passed down through the throat into the stomach with the assiatnce of an endoscope. Such procedures include endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal resection.
• Subtotal gastrectomy
  It involves the removal of the part of the stomach affected by cancer along with a portion of healthy tissue surrounding it. It is usually recommended when the cancer is located in the part of the stomach closest to the small intestine.
• Total gastrectomy
  This surgical procedure is aimed at removing the entire stomach and some surrounding healthy tissue. It is recommended for stomach cancers affecting the body of the stomach and those located in the gastroesophageal junction.
• Removal of lymph nodes
  If cancer has spread to the surrounding lymph nodes, those need to be removed. Sometimes, the surgeon may even remove the abdominal lymph nodes to test them for cancer.
• Chemotherapy
  It is a treatment modality that uses specialised substances called chemotherapeutic agents to kill and destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is sometimes also given before a surgery to shrink cancer cells so that it can be removed more easily. It is also used post-surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
• Radiation therapy
  This therapy uses high-powered rays of energy from sources like X-rays and protons to destroy cancer cells. The energy rays come from a machine that revolves around the body of the patient as he lies on a table. Radiation therapy is also used before the operation to shrink the tumour or destroy any remaining cancerous cells after surgery. It is often used together with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. For advanced, surgically non-resectable tumours, radiotherapy may be used to relieve side effects, like pain or bleeding, caused by growing cancer.
• Targeted drug therapy
  This treatment modality is focused on specific weaknesses present within cancer cells. By targeting these weaknesses, the cancer cells weaken and die. Targeted drugs are usually combined with chemotherapy to treat advanced or recurrent stomach cancers.
• Immunotherapy
  It is a drug treatment that stimulates the immune system to fight cancer cells more effectively. Sometimes the body's disease-fighting immune system might not attack the cancer cells because the cancer cells produce proteins that mask them from the immune system. Immunotherapy acts by interfering with that process. It is mostly reserved for advanced and metastatic stomach cancers.

Palliative care is specialized medical care that aims to provide relief from pain and other symptoms of cancer or a serious illness rather than cure it. Palliative care specialists at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai work with you, your family and other doctors treating you to give an extra layer of support that supplements your ongoing treatment plan. Palliative care is very important for patients undergoing aggressive treatment procedures, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Using palliative care with all other appropriate cancer treatment modalities makes people with cancer feel better and live longer, fulfilled lives. The palliative care team at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai consists of the best Stomach Cancer treatment doctors in Navi Mumbai, specialized nurses and other trained professionals. They work hard to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer and their families.

We at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai acknowledge that a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming and frightening, but you will find ways to cope with the negative feelings with time. Until then, learning enough about cancer you have and looking at the various treatment options and their prognosis might help you. You can ask your doctor questions regarding your condition, including your test results and the treatment options. It may help you be more confident in making decisions about the treatment plan. You can also consider joining support groups and meeting with people who are suffering from or have recovered from the same cancer as you. Keep your friends, and family members close and do not hesitate to share your emotional problems with them. Also, do not hesitate to share your symptoms and mental health problems with the oncology team at our hospital throughout the treatment journey. There are medicines available for every symptom, so you do not need to tolerate those unnecessarily. The oncology team at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital provides the best Colon & Stomach Cancer treatment in Navi Mumbai. It aims not only to treat your physical symptoms but also to ensure your mental and emotional well being at all times.