Stomach cancer

Stomach cancer is one of the most common cancers of the digestive system. A malignant tumor (adenocarcinoma) occurs due to abnormal cell division of the stomach lining. The neoplasm can be localized in different parts of the organ: in the upper (next to the esophagus), in the body (the main part of the stomach) and in the lower (near the intestines). As it grows, the tumor grows into muscle tissue and spreads to other organs.

Contacting the MedTour coordinator will allow you to learn about modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of stomach cancer in the best clinics in the world. With successful treatment, the patient is in long-term remission and there is a chance for a full recovery.

Causes of stomach cancer

Scientists have not identified the exact cause of stomach cancer. According to the NCI (US National Cancer Institute), there are risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing the disease. The most common reasons include:

• Family history – cases of stomach cancer in immediate family;
• Gastritis – a chronic inflammation of the stomach;
• Stomach ulcer;
• Helicobacter pylori – bacterial infection of the stomach;
• Epstein-Barr infection – herpesvirus type 4;
• Hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps are types of polyps that can degenerate into cancerous growths;
• Infection with oncogenic strains of HPV (human papillomavirus).

Experts refer to additional factors influencing the development of stomach cancer:

• Tobacco abuse;
• Eating foods high in salt, smoked foods;
• Low fiber in the daily diet.

To exclude the disease or identify it at the earliest stage of development, it is necessary to undergo a check-up – a comprehensive examination. Thanks to the check-up, the doctor will be able to provide the patient with the most effective treatment. Leave a request on the MedTour website to make an appointment at the clinic for the Check-Up.

Stomach cancer symptoms

In the initial stages, stomach cancer develops asymptomatically. When the disease progresses, the patient develops the first symptoms of stomach cancer: he experiences discomfort in the abdomen, aversion to meat foods.

When contacting a doctor, most often, a patient with an oncological disease reveals the following complaints:

• Difficulty swallowing;
• Pain in the abdomen above the navel;
• Loss of appetite and nausea;
• Feeling of fullness in the stomach when eating a small amount of food;
• Chronic fatigue;
• Significant weight loss.

The most alarming symptoms that require an immediate visit to the oncologist:

• A blood test revealed iron deficiency anemia;
• Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity – ascites;
• Vomiting mixed with blood;
• Semi-liquid stools of dark color (formed from blood under the influence of the contents of the stomach and intestines) – melena.

Diagnosis of stomach cancer

The purpose of diagnostics in case of suspected oncology is to verify the diagnosis, to determine the stage and area of spread of the tumor. Only a professional oncologist knows how stomach cancer is determined. The further treatment plan and prognosis for the patient will depend on the results of the diagnosis.

The doctor can prescribe such examinations if cancer is suspected:

• Consultation with a specialist. Required for medical examination and medical history study.
• Blood analysis with a test for tumor markers. The examination shows deviations from the norm in the composition of the blood and the presence of elements characteristic of stomach cancer.
• Gastroscopy with biopsy. Visual assessment of the condition of the stomach and collection of affected tissues for analysis. A biopsy may reveal a high level of the HER2 protein, which is a sign of cancer.
• Histology and immunohistochemistry. Special tests that allow to determine the malignancy of the tumor. Thanks to this analysis, the doctor selects the optimal drug for therapy.
• Computed tomography of the abdominal cavity. CT scans help determine the size and location of the tumor.
• Magnetic resonance imaging. Using an MRI, the doctor determines the extent of the tumor in the abdominal cavity.
• Positron emission computed tomography. PET-CT shows the exact location of the tumor and the size of the metastases in the adjacent tissues and organs.
• Ultrasound procedure. Ultrasound of the abdominal organs is the most accessible diagnostic method that allows you to identify concomitant pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract in gastric cancer.
• Radiography. Additional examination of the chest organs gives an expanded idea of the extent of the neoplasm.

Examples of prices for diagnostics of stomach cancer in different countries

CT scan:

• Germany – from $600;
• Israel – from $700;
• Turkey – from $350;
• Ukraine – from $100.

Examination with PET-CT:

• Germany – from $2 300;
• Israel – from $1 800;
• Turkey – from $800.

Stomach cancer stage

After diagnosing a patient, the doctor can determine one of the stages of stomach cancer, which is characterized by:

• At the first stage, the tumor does not go beyond the mucous membrane, which covers the inside of the esophagus and stomach;
• Cancer of the second stage penetrates deeper, grows into the muscle layer of the esophagus or the stomach wall. The neoplasm can spread to nearby lymph nodes – regional metastases occur;
• In the third stage, the tumor can spread through the esophagus or stomach to nearby structures. In this case, metastases often go to the lymph nodes;
• Stomach cancer of the fourth stage penetrates into distant parts of the body and is accompanied by metastasis.

The operation for stomach cancer of the fourth stage is not performed. This is due to the extensive spread of the tumor outside the organ. Therefore, at the first suspicion of a disease, it is necessary to consult a specialist and immediately begin treatment. To make an appointment with a specialized clinic, send a request to the medical coordinator of MedTour.

Survival for stomach cancer

Stomach cancer responds well to treatment in the first stage – the survival rate is 95%, while about 70% of patients achieve full recovery.

At the second stage, the 5-year boundary is about 56%, and full recovery of patients is observed in 28% of cases.

In patients with stage III cancer, the five-year survival rate is 38%, in the absence of metastases, 26% of people recover completely.

The five-year survival rate for stage four gastric cancer is 5-15% of patients. With an advanced form of cancer, the prognosis is poor. Therefore, it is important to start treatment as soon as possible.

Stomach cancer treatment

For stomach cancer of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages without metastases, the main method of treatment is surgery. At the 4th stage of the disease, doctors carry out combination therapy.

Surgical intervention

Depending on the location and size of the tumor, surgeons use one of the intervention options:

• Endoscopic dissection is the removal of a neoplasm located in the mucous membrane of an organ. The doctor performs the operation with an endoscope without incisions;
• Resection is a partial excision of the stomach. This method is suitable for removing a tumor that is located in the lower part of the organ;
• Gastrectomy is the complete removal of the stomach. The operation is indicated if the neoplasm is in the upper part of the stomach or has spread throughout the organ.

Examples of prices for gastric cancer surgery in TOP clinics in different countries:

• Germany – from $40 000;
• Israel – from $26 000;
• Turkey – from $15 600;
• Ukraine – from $10 000.

Radiotherapy

The oncologist may prescribe radiation therapy to reduce the amount of surgery. After surgery, radiotherapy destroys the remaining abnormal cells. In the 4th stage of gastric cancer, the radiation procedure helps to reduce the symptoms.

Chemotherapy

In accordance with current gastric cancer treatment protocols, the physician must prescribe chemotherapy to the patient prior to surgery. This recommendation applies to tumor surgery starting from the first stage of the disease.

Chemotherapy for stomach cancer after surgery prevents relapse and improves survival. In the later stages of the disease, taking chemotherapy drugs improves the patient’s quality of life.

Targeted therapy

Taking targeted drugs helps block the growth and division of cancer cells. The use of targeted therapy is indicated in the case of genetic mutation of cancer cells.

Immunotherapy

The doctor may prescribe the immuno-oncology drug Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) if other treatment options have not worked well. The medicine helps the body recognize exclusively malignant cells and destroy them.

Modern methods of treating stomach cancer

Cancer centers, mostly foreign, are equipped with modern equipment for operations and therapy. For a successful low-traumatic intervention, surgeons use the Da Vinci robotic assistant.

Operation on the Da Vinci robot

Da Vinci is a robotic system for precise and low-trauma operations. Using a special console, the doctor controls the surgical unit. He controls the operational process using a 3D visualization system. All manipulations to remove the tumor are carried out through 5 incisions 1-1.5 cm in size.

Surgery with the help of Da Vinci reduces the risk of bleeding, infections, damage to healthy tissues, and reduces pain after the intervention. As a result, the patient recovers within 2-3 weeks. After open surgery, recovery takes several months.

NanoKnife Application

Irreversible electroporation is a procedure in which doctors treat a tumor with an electric current. The advantage of this treatment is that the thin NanoKnife allows destroy the neoplasm in hard-to-reach places.

The doctor inserts several special needles into the tumor area, which act on it with current. The procedure is low-traumatic, after it the patient does not need long-term rehabilitation

Irradiation with the Gamma Knife

Doctors use the Gamma Knife radiosurgical unit to accurately irradiate neoplasms. The system produces radiation beams that pass through healthy tissue and infect a malignant tumor with a high dose of radiation.

Doctors use the Gamma Knife for inoperable tumors. The procedure is painless, the patient does not need anesthesia and rehabilitation.

Proton therapy

This is a type of radiation therapy that acts on the tumor with accelerated ionizing particles. Proton therapy destroys neoplasms without damaging healthy tissue.

During a proton therapy session, the patient lies on a table with a device rotating around him that produces proton beams. The procedure takes 30 minutes. The patient does not require hospitalization in the clinic.

Stomach cancer cannot always be completely cured after surgery. Therefore, the doctor may recommend that the patient undergo an additional course of therapy, which will destroy the smallest metastases in the tissues adjacent to the stomach.

How much does stomach cancer treatment cost

The cost of surgery for stomach cancer depends on the method of removing the tumor. If the neoplasm is inside the organ, then a radical operation to remove the stomach will be required. Such an intervention is more complicated and more expensive than an endoscopic procedure.

If the patient prefers to undergo treatment in a foreign clinic, then it is necessary to take into account the costs of the flight and payment for the service of the medical institution.

The formation of the final cost is influenced by: the volume of diagnostic measures, a complex of medical procedures and options for additional therapy.

Examples of the cost of gastric cancer treatment in different countries

The cost of surgery for gastric cancer on a Da Vinci robot:

• Israel – from $25 000;
• Germany – from $21 300;
• Turkey – from $16 000.

Irradiation of the tumor with the Gamma Knife system:

• Israel – from $16 000;
• Germany – from $9 500;
• Turkey – from $8 000.

Immunotherapy with Keytruda:

• Israel – from $9 000;
• Germany – from $8 000;
• Turkey – from $4 000.

Doctors of leading oncological clinics use all the methods that are included in the international protocol for the treatment of stomach cancer: surgery and various types of therapy. Therefore, patients receive not the only possible, but the most effective medical solution in their case. To make an appointment with the best hospital for the treatment of stomach cancer, leave a request on the MedTour website.

Published: 14.07.2021

Updated: 29.07.2021

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak

Medical author:

Ilona Baidiuk

Information on this webpage verified by the medical expert

Medical Doctor, oncologist, PHD student

Kateryna Maliarchuk