Stomach Cancer Treatment
Expert treatment of gastric cancer based on your needs.
Various types of treatment can be used for stomach cancer. Which may work best for you will depend on a number of factors. These include the size, location, and stage of your cancer. Other factors also include your age, overall health, and what side effects you’ll find acceptable.
You may have questions and concerns about your treatment options. You may also want to know how you’ll feel and function after treatment, and if you’ll have to change your normal activities.
Your oncologist, or cancer specialist, is the best person to answer your questions. They can tell you what your treatment choices are, how well they’re expected to work, and what the risks and side effects are. Your healthcare provider may advise a specific treatment. Or you may be offered more than one and asked to decide which one you’d like to use. It can be hard to make this decision. It's important to take the time you need to make the best decision.
Stomach cancer treatment options
There are several types of treatment for stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer), and many people undergo a combination of treatments, depending on its stage and other factors.
- Surgery is the most common treatment for stomach cancer. There are several surgical options:
- Subtotal gastrectomy removes the part of the stomach with cancer, nearby lymph nodes and other tissues and organs near the tumor.
- Total gastrectomy involves removing the entire stomach and nearby lymph nodes
If the tumor blocks the stomach, and traditional surgery can’t be used, surgeons may use an alternative:
- Endoluminal stent placement to create an opening
- Gastrojejunostomy to bypass the blocked area of the stomach.
- Chemotherapy uses drugs that kill cancer cells throughout the body. For stomach cancer, chemotherapy may be used before or after surgery and sometimes with radiation. Or chemotherapy may be the main treatment for people who can't have surgery. Your doctor will choose the chemotherapy treatment plan best suited for your cancer.
- Chemoradiation combines chemotherapy and radiation to increase the effectiveness of both treatments.
- Radiation uses X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation is often used with other treatments, like chemotherapy or surgery.
Talk to your doctor about these and other options for treating stomach (gastric) cancer. Researchers are discovering new therapies for treating cancer all the time, giving doctors new resources for your care.
Experts in treating stomach cancer
Legacy Cancer Institute, located in Portland, OR, ranks among the nation’s best cancer programs. Our team features some of the region’s most recognized specialists who work together to diagnose and develop a personalized treatment plan for you. Find the right provider and treatment close to home.
Legacy Cancer Institute is accredited as an integrated network cancer program by the American College of surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). Learn more about our quality cancer care.
Working together for you
Our cancer experts work together with a common goal: delivering the right care for you.
A range of specialists collaborate regularly in meetings called tumor boards to discuss the best plan for your care. Your treatment plan is made just for you, depending on your general health, your age, your particular cancer and its growth.
Legacy Health collaborates with the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute to advance cancer care in our region. By working together, you benefit from the strength of both leaders in cancer care. As an integrated community cancer program for adults, we make sure that you have access to the latest treatments, technology and research available.
What happens next
Many cancer treatments can cause challenging side effects. Your cancer team is dedicated to helping you manage these symptoms in the best ways possible. Comfort care can treat symptoms to help improve your quality of life; this is also called palliative care.
To see how well your treatment is working, some of the tests used to diagnose and stage your cancer may be repeated. Your doctor uses these tests to decide whether to stop, change or continue treatment based on the results. These tests can also determine if cancer has returned. Whenever possible, we work to stop the growth of cancer and reduce the chance of cancer coming back.
More support
You are not alone. Legacy offers support throughout your cancer journey, as well as care for your emotional, social and spiritual needs.
