Diagnosis:
When people report these symptoms to their family doctor, they may be referred to a gastroenterologist (gas-tro-en-ter-OL-o-jist), a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating digestive problems. The gastroenterologist may order additional diagnostic tests to figure out what is wrong.
One of the most common procedures is called endoscopy (en-DOS-ko-рee), which involves passing a very thin, lighted tube down the esophagus and into the stomach. This tube allows doctors to look directly at the inside of the stomach. If an abnormal area is seen, doctors can remove some tissue from it through the tube and have the tissue examined under a microscope. This process, called a biopsy (BY-op-see), determines whether cancer cells are present.
A person might also have an upper GI series, which is a series of x-rays of the upper gastrointestinal (gas-tro-in-TES-ti-nal) tract, including the esophagus and stomach. These pictures are taken after the person drinks a thick chalky liquid called barium (BA-ree-um). The barium outlines the stomach on the x-rays, helping doctors locate tumors or other abnormal areas.
Doctor might also want to test for blood in the feces*, the solid waste that people produce when they go to the bathroom. This test involves placing a small amount of feces (stool) on a slide and having it tested in the laboratory. Sometimes, blood in the stool is a sign of stomach cancer or other cancers of the digestive tract.
If cancer is diagnosed, then doctors need to find out whether it has spread to other parts of the body. They often use imaging tests such as CT scans or ultrasound to check for this possibility.
How Is Stomach Cancer Treated?
Because the symptoms associated with stomach cancer seem so minor at first, people rarely report them right away. Therefore, the cancer usually has spread into the stomach wall or even beyond the stomach when it is found, which makes it difficult to cure.
The most common treatment is an operation called gastrectomy (gas-TREK-to-mee), during which surgeons remove part or all of the stomach and some of the surrounding tissue. If all of the stomach needs to be removed, then surgeons connect the esophagus directly to the small intestine. The nearby lymph nodes usually are removed, too.
People with stomach cancer may also be treated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy*, either in an attempt to destroy some of the cancer cells or to ease some of their symptoms, such as pain. Radiation therapy focuses high-energy rays on the body to destroy cancer cells and to stop or slow their growth. During chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs are given by mouth or by injection into a muscle or blood vessel.
Because stomach cancer is so difficult to cure, researchers have looked at other ways to treat this disease. Studies called clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate some new treatments in cancer patients. One example is biological therapy, which triggers the body's own immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells.
Living with Stomach Cancer
Because people with stomach cancer often have part or all of the stomach removed, they need time to readjust to cating after the surgery. At first, patients are fed intravenously (in-tra-VEE-nus-lee),through a vein in the hand or arm. Within several days, they usually can start taking in liquids, then soft foods, and then more solid foods. Often they need to follow a special diet until they can adjust to having a smaller stomach or none at all. People with stomach cancer need to work with dietitians and nutritionists to make sure that they are getting the nutrients their body needs.
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