Stomach Cancer

Fortunately in Australia, our rate of Gastric Cancer is not as high as other parts of the world, and the incidence of Stomach Cancer has been reduced in recent years. Despite this, surgery remains critical in Gastric Cancer treatment, with curative intent. 

The surgery for gastric cancer is usually very different to non-cancer surgery of the stomach even if it may look similar. The risks of the surgery is greater when compared to the non-cancer surgery of the stomach.

Surgery for gastric cancer involves:

• Removing either large portion of the stomach (subtotal gastrectomy) or the whole stomach (total gastrectomy) depending which part of the stomach is involved.

• Removing the lymph gland/nodes around the stomach and around the large arteries in the area. (Lymphadenectomy).

• Surgery is performed in either an open or laparoscopic manner.

Broadly speaking:

• Each patient will be discussed in a meeting with a range of specialists with a variety of expertise to examine and consider the different treatment options whilst streamlining the whole process.

• Chemotherapy before and/or after the surgery will be considered for suitable patients depending on various different factors.

Individual patient factors and the information gathered on the cancer will be used to recommend the most suitable treatment plan. The surgery will be tailored to the achieve the best cancer related outcome with every effort made to lower the risk of potential complications for each individual patient.

For more information