Gastric cancer, also commonly known as stomach cancer, is a cancer form typified by uncontrolled division and maturation of the cells lining the stomach. The mucus-generating cells are the most frequently affected by this cancer form, thus stomach cancer is also sometimes referred to as adenocarcinoma. According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 25,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, but the incidence of gastric cancer is more common in countries like Japan and Korea than the United States.
Cures for Gastric Cancer
Like most other cancer forms, there are no known treatment techniques for gastric cancer which can completely cure the cancer. Thus doctors aim to control the spreading and metastasis of the malignant cells to other body parts. However, radiation method, surgery and chemotherapy are few of the widely administered treatment methods against gastric cancer. Surgery generally involves the removal of the affected cells and tissues of the stomach to prevent their metastasis. However, in severe cases, complete gastrectomy (complete removal of the stomach) is performed, and subsequently the esophagus is directly connected with the small intestine to allow food into the digestive system.
Individuals having a great risk of cancer recurrence are recommended to use methods such as radiation and chemotherapy. Anti-cancer drugs like interleukin-2 (IL-2) are used in chemotherapy to damage the cancer cells and prevent their spreading, while radiation utilizes high energy light radiations (X-rays), to destroy the malignant cells.
Time Frame
Time frame of the treatments used against gastric cancer generally varies from patient to patient depending upon the staging and spreading of the cancer. However, patients are generally subjected to radiation daily for close to a month, while chemotherapy is administered periodically for four to six months.
Survival Rates
The survival rates for gastric cancer often vary, depending upon the growth and proliferation of the cancerous cells. However according to National Cancer Institute, the relative five-year survival rate between the period 1999-2005 was approximately 26%.
Side Effects
Various side effects are frequently experienced by the patients suffering from gastric cancer after undergoing some of the above mentioned treatment methods. According to the Mayo Clinic, common side effects linked with surgery include extreme pain (after the surgical removal of the affected cells from the stomach), bleeding, infection among others. Side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiation include nauseated feeling, loss of appetite, loss of hair, and extreme tiredness.
Prevention/Solution
Common preventive measures that one can take against gastric cancer include quitting smoking and limiting the consumption of alcoholic drinks, reducing the salt content in foods, and avoiding exposure towards polluting agents and toxins among others.
