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Gastric cancer
What can stomach cancer patients eat?
For patients with gastric cancer, there are no specific dietary taboos, except for avoiding foods that are too spicy or greasy, such as fried foods and barbecued items that are difficult to digest. Additionally, it is advisable to avoid carbonated and very cold foods that may irritate the stomach. The dietary approach should focus on eating smaller, more frequent meals that are easy to digest and bland. However, it is also important to ensure a balanced diet that includes both meat and vegetables to ensure adequate nutrition for the patient.
How is gastric cancer caused?
The causes of gastric cancer are not yet clearly understood. However, its occurrence is associated with poor dietary habits, such as irregular eating—sometimes skipping a meal, sometimes overeating, not having meals on time—and consuming pickled food, barbecued junk food, and other unhealthy dietary practices. Additionally, smoking, alcohol consumption, infection with Helicobacter pylori, chronic gastric diseases such as atrophic gastritis, and genetic factors are all somewhat related to the development of this condition.
Can stomach cancer be cured? Can stomach cancer be cured?
Early-stage gastric cancer patients can undergo curative surgery, and then decide whether postoperative adjuvant radiochemotherapy is needed based on the specific pathological type and the presence of high-risk recurrence factors. Through these treatments, a cure can be achieved. Generally, if there is no recurrence or metastasis within five years, it is considered cured. For example, patients in stage IA, even without adjuvant chemotherapy, have a relatively high five-year survival rate, generally above 90% after curative surgery. However, if it is found to be advanced-stage, such as initial detection showing distant metastases to the liver, lungs, etc., these patients are primarily treated with systemic chemotherapy or symptomatic palliative care. In such cases, a cure is not achievable. Therefore, whether a cure is possible depends on the stage of gastric cancer and factors such as the patient's basic physical condition.
Symptoms of gastric cancer
Symptoms of gastric cancer include nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, pain in the upper abdomen, and a sense of fullness and discomfort, especially after eating, which are some of the early symptoms. As the tumor progresses, symptoms can worsen, including pain, vomiting of blood, and black stools indicating upper gastrointestinal bleeding. If the tumor is near the pylorus, it can cause pyloric obstruction, which manifests as acid reflux followed by vomiting of undigested food from the previous night. In the late stages of gastric cancer, patients may experience fatigue, weight loss, severe cachexia, and anemia. These are symptoms of advanced gastric cancer.
Can stomach cancer be cured?
Whether gastric cancer can be cured depends on the stage of the cancer, as well as the patient's own physical condition. For example, early-stage gastric cancer patients, who are diagnosed as early-stage through examinations such as endoscopic ultrasonography and enhanced CT of the chest and abdomen, and assessed by surgeons as suitable for curative surgery, are primarily treated with curative surgery. The prognosis for these early-stage gastric cancer patients is generally good, with a relatively high five-year survival rate. Post-operation, based on the pathological findings, it is decided whether postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy are necessary. There is hope for curing patients in these early stages through these treatment methods. However, if a patient is found to have advanced-stage gastric cancer, for example with metastases to distant organs like the liver and lungs, the cancer is not completely curable. The purpose of treatment in such cases is to alleviate the patient's pain and extend their survival, but it can’t achieve a curative effect.
Mid-stage symptoms of gastric cancer
Symptoms of mid-stage gastric cancer can include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, decreased food intake, and upper abdominal pain, as well as symptoms related to the digestive tract. Some patients may also experience black stool or even vomiting blood, which are symptoms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, there can be bloating and abdominal pain. If the tumor is located near the pylorus and causes pyloric obstruction, clinical symptoms will include vomiting, vomiting of overnight food, and resulting in gastric retention. This can lead to significant symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, acid reflux, and nausea.
What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?
Gastric cancer can cause pain in the upper abdomen. If the condition gradually worsens, it can manifest as persistent pain, postprandial fullness and vomiting, belching, and lack of appetite; upper gastrointestinal bleeding, manifesting as vomiting blood, blood in the stool, and black stools; there can also be difficulty swallowing, weight loss and anemia. If bone metastasis occurs, it can manifest as bone pain and pain in the lower back. If a large amount of ascites appears, it can lead to abdominal distension, with shifting dullness detectable on percussion. If liver metastasis occurs, it can manifest as jaundice, and enlargement of the supraclavicular lymph nodes can also occur.
How is stomach cancer treated?
The treatment for gastric cancer now includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, among others. The specific treatment plan is formulated based on various factors such as the staging of the cancer, the patient's overall condition, and the presence of any underlying diseases, which are all taken into consideration before deciding on a treatment plan. For patients in the early stages who are generally in good condition, surgical resection can be evaluated and is primarily curative. Post-operative treatment decisions, such as whether to pursue adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, depend on the pathology results and the presence of high-risk factors for recurrence. For patients in advanced stages who are found to have distant metastases upon diagnosis, treatment is primarily chemotherapy. Additionally, there are broad-spectrum targeted therapies against angiogenesis, such as apatinib, which are suitable for patients with advanced gastric cancer or those who do not respond well to chemotherapy, serving as a secondary or tertiary line of treatment. These are some of the treatment methods for gastric cancer. It is crucial that the use of any medication is conducted under the guidance of a doctor.
How to check for gastric cancer?
Gastroscopy is very important in the examination of gastric cancer, and taking a biopsy under gastroscopy is an important means of diagnosis. Other examinations include endoscopic ultrasound or enhanced abdominal CT and chest CT to assess the staging of the patient. With endoscopic ultrasound, we can see which layer of the stomach wall the tumor has invaded and then combine it with chest and abdominal CT scans to assess whether there is distant metastasis. Diagnosis requires gastroscopy with a biopsy taken during the procedure.
Early symptoms of gastric cancer
The symptoms of early gastric cancer are nonspecific and similar to those of chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastroparesis, and other benign diseases, making it difficult to distinguish. Screening data shows that 40%-60% of patients with early gastric cancer are asymptomatic. The symptoms of early gastric cancer primarily include pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, hematemesis, blood in stools, melena, and difficulty swallowing. Discomfort in the upper abdomen is the most common symptom, followed by pain beneath the sternum. Generally, early gastric cancer does not present specific physical signs, though tenderness in the upper abdomen is relatively common, and some patients may exhibit signs of anemia.