Is Stomach Tumor Curable?

Stomach cancer is fairly an uncommon type of cancer. Unfortunately, it is picked up at later stages, making the treatment more challenging and may lead to a poor prognosis.

The outlook for stomach cancer depends on various factors, such as your age, your general health, and how far the cancer has spread. Like the rest of the malignancies, stomach cancer is usually most treatable when found early, before cancer has spread to other body parts.

Sometimes, surgery is all that is needed to treat stomach cancer, though other treatments like chemotherapy, radiation may also be included in a patient’s treatment plan. Keep reading to find out more about stomach cancer and its cure.

Genetic mutation (change) in the stomach cells causes the cells to grow rapidly and form a tumor. Risk factors of stomach cancer include:

• Family history
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Bacterial Infection – Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
• High salt intake

Here are some commonly seen signs and symptoms of stomach cancer:

1. Nausea and vomiting
2. Difficulty swallowing
3. Heartburn
4. Loss of appetite
5. Weight loss
6. Feeling tired
7. Bloating
8. Vomiting blood (in advanced stages)
9. Black colored stools

If you notice any of the symptoms, you must schedule a consultation with Dr. Praveen Kammar, a leading stomach cancer surgeon in Mumbai.

Stomach cancer is easily curable if detected at early stages. Surgery is the most preferred treatment option.

In initial stages of cancer, it is limited to the uppermost layers of the stomach. The cancer is removed through an endoscopy performed by a gastroenterologist. This is a conservative approach where the tumor is dissected from the rest of the gastric wall and removed through the mouth.

Suppose the tumor goes beyond the superficial layers of the stomach, then a formal surgery will be required to remove the stomach.

Chemotherapy uses chemotherapeutic agents to kill cancer cells. When the stomach cancer has spread to the outer layers of its walls and to the nodes , chemotherapy is usually given first to reduce the tumor size and control the microscopic cancer spread to other parts. Surgery is considered after initial chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy is used only in selected settings in stomach cancer treatment.

So, the treatment depends on the severity of the disease and various therapies are considered after proper diagnosis and staging of cancer.

Dr. Praveen Kammar offers comprehensive treatment for all types and stages of stomach cancer with the latest medical equipment. The best stomach cancer doctor in Mumbai with over a decade of experience.

The cure of stomach cancer is based on the stage at which the cancer is detected. Therefore, patients diagnosed at early stages have a greater chance of survival than those at later stages.

If the tumor is found in its earliest stage and gets treated on time, the five-year survival rate is higher than 90%.

However, if cancer has spread in areas beyond and surrounding the stomach, the five-year survival rate is 4%. If you observe any symptoms or fall into the risk factors of stomach tumors, it will be best to consult an oncologist doctor as soon as you can.

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