The stomach is a muscular pouch situated just below your ribs in the upper part of your abdomen. Stomach cancer is an uncontrolled cell proliferation that starts in the stomach. Stomach Cancer sometimes also referred to as Gastric Cancer can be developed in any part of the stomach. Stomach cancer can be cured but the chances are not very high. If the cancer is at an early stage, there are treatments that can be followed and the quality of life can be improved a bit. Best cancer treatments in Mumbai also include the treatment of Stomach cancer. So, a person can refer to one of the various best cancer doctors in Mumbai for stomach cancer problems.
Symptoms of Stomach Cancer
It is very difficult to recognize the symptoms of stomach cancer at an early stage as it includes some day-to-day life problems. These include – persistent heartburn and indigestion, after eating having the feeling of being bloated and having frequent burps, ongoing stomach discomfort, etc. Most of these can occur besides stomach cancer as well, so it becomes difficult at this stage to identify.
Symptoms of stomach cancer at an advanced stage may include:-
– Black stools or stools with blood in them
– Reduced appetite
– Feeling nauseous all the time
– Decrease of weight
– Abdominal pain
– Vomiting
– Swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen
– Feeling exhausted or weak due to having insufficient red blood cells,
– If cancer spreads to the liver, it will cause jaundice or a yellowing of the skin and eyes.
The majority of these symptoms are more frequently brought on by conditions other than stomach cancer. Other cancers may potentially be responsible for some of these symptoms. However, if any of these issues persist or worsen, a person should seek medical attention and consult the best cancer surgeon in Mumbai and get diagnosed.
The Curability of Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer is not completely curable. Even chemotherapy, in certain circumstances radiation, and surgery, can help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life in many stomach cancer patients that cannot be fully cured. As long as all of the malignant tissue can be removed, surgery can treat stomach cancer if it is treatable.
While examining you the doctor can gauge how far cancer has progressed thanks to staging. Staging for stomach cancer varies from 0 (zero) to IV (four). Stage 0 indicates that cancer has not progressed past the lining of your stomach. When it reaches stage IV, it has spread to other organs.
The course of therapy is determined by the extent of the malignancy, your health, and your treatment preferences. It frequently involves a care team composed of your main healthcare practitioner, an oncologist, and a gastroenterologist (gastroenterologist). On your alternatives for therapy, they can counsel you. Your doctor could advise surgery to remove precancerous cells, a tumor, or all or part of your stomach, depending on how far cancer has gone.
There are the best cancer hospitals in Mumbai where you should get the surgery performed if required.
There are two ways in which the surgery is done:
– Upper endoscopy: An upper endoscopy can be used to remove early-stage stomach cancer that has only spread to the surface layers of your stomach. A gastroenterologist performs an endoscopic submucosal dissection or endoscopic mucosal resection during which the tumor is sliced from the stomach wall and removed through the mouth.
– Gastrectomy: You’ll require surgery to remove all or a portion of your stomach after the tumor has progressed beyond the surface layers of your stomach. The portion of your stomach affected by the cancer is removed during a subtotal gastrectomy. Your whole stomach is removed during a total gastrectomy.
In order to continue eating after a complete gastrectomy, your healthcare professional will reattach your esophagus to your small intestine.
Besides this, there are other ways for treatment as well which include:
– Chemotherapy – Before surgery, (chemo) employs medications to shrink the cancer cells, making them simpler to remove.
– Radiation – This process uses targeted energy beams like X-rays to destroy cancer cells.
– Immunotherapy – Helps your immune system identify and destroy cancer cells that may be hard to detect.
– Palliative care – Palliative care is a type of specialized medical treatment that may be provided by physicians, nurses, and other professionals that can assist with symptom reduction. They can also offer extra assistance to supplement the medical treatment you get from your usual doctors and nurses.
The Next Step
Many cancer surgery clinics can be found in the vicinity of Mumbai. There are the best cancer doctors working who will guide you throughout the process – from getting diagnosed to getting treated. However, one should not ignore any of the above symptoms and get checked immediately if any problem arises. Preserve your health and happiness!
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