Fact 7: Treatment Options
Stomach cancer, like other malignancies, doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all treatment strategy. The diversity in its forms and stages calls for an equally varied approach to management. Broadly speaking, treatment options can range from surgical interventions to newer, more innovative therapies that harness the body’s own mechanisms.
Surgery stands out as a primary treatment modality. Depending on the cancer’s size, location, and invasiveness, this might involve removing a part of the stomach (partial gastrectomy) or the whole of it (total gastrectomy). The goal here is simple: excise the tumor to prevent its further spread. But the reality is complex. Post-surgical life, especially after a total gastrectomy, requires considerable adjustments in diet and lifestyle.
Beyond surgery, chemotherapy offers a way to tackle the cancer cells systemically. This method uses potent drugs to either kill the cancer cells or halt their proliferation. These drugs can be administered before surgery to shrink tumors, making them easier to remove, or after surgery to clear any lingering cells. While effective, chemotherapy does come with its share of side-effects, ranging from fatigue to more serious complications like lowered immunity.
Radiation therapy, another key player in the treatment roster, employs high-energy rays to decimate cancer cells. Often used in tandem with chemotherapy, radiation targets specific areas, ensuring maximum damage to the cancer while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. Precision is the name of the game here, with technology aiding in focusing the radiation beams with pinpoint accuracy.
The realm of cancer treatment isn’t static. Newer modalities are constantly emerging. Two notable ones are targeted therapy and immunotherapy. While the former zooms in on specific characteristics of cancer cells, aiming to disrupt their growth without affecting healthy cells, the latter boosts the body’s natural defenses to recognize and combat the malignant cells more effectively. Both signify the leaps medicine is making, transforming what was once deemed a terminal illness into a manageable condition. (7)
