Most common gastrointestinal cancer in south india. Male patients are more affected.
- Smoking
- H.pylori infection
- Prior gastric surgery
- Low dietary vitamin
- Anaemis due to vitamin B 12 deficiency
- Precursor lesions in stomach
- Vague heaviness after meals is the earliest symptomv
- Weight loss is most common symptom and represent advanced disease
- Blood vomiting
- Fluid collection in abdomen(Ascites), jaundice are other advanced disease features
- Serum CEA levels
- Endoscopy – will exactly tell disease extent and also biopsy of lesion can be done.
- CT scan of lungs, abdomen and pelvis
- Laproscopy to rule peritoneal disease
- Whole body PET CT scan can also be done
- Very early stage – Cancer involves very superificial layers of stomach and no lymph node spread
- Early stage – cancer involves more deep layers with minimal or no lymph node spread
- Advanced stage – cancer involves all layers of stomach or invading near by organs with advanced disease in lymph nodes
- Very advanced stage – disease has spread to inner lining of abdomen (peritoneum), liver, lung,bones
- Very early stages – If feasible, endoscopic resection of cancer can be done.
- Early stages – Depending on the site of cancer a partial or total removal of stomach along with all lymph nodes are done.
- Advanced stages – First chemotherapy is given to shrink the disease(neoadjuvant), then surgery is planned.
- Very advanced stages – Only chemotherapy is given. Surgery is done to relieve problems like continuous bleeding or continuous vomiting due to obstructive cancerous growth.
Except in very early stages stages, patients gets chemotherapy in all stages of stomach cancer.
Radiation is given in only select cases.