Gastric Cancer Details

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Latest Edit: Iva Lloyd, ND 2014-01-01 (EDT)

Editor-In-Chief: Dr. Heidi Kussmann, ND, FABNO

Stomach cancer is medically termed Gastric Cancer. Death from gastric cancer has decreased to 20% of that recorded in the 1930's in the US but it remains the second leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. [1] Rates of gastric cancer have been decreasing in North America, and increasing in East Asia. Currently, gastric cancer is the most common form of cancer in Japan, spurring a screening program which has reduced mortality by up to 50%. Men are more affected by gastric cancer than women and it most often is diagnosed during the 6th decade in life. [2]

See Also: Gastric Cancer for an general overview of Gastric Cancer and the naturopathic approach to assessment and treatment.

Characteristics

  • The adenocarcinoma type comprises 95% of the gastric cancer types. The remaining are rare types such as leiomyosarcomas, lymphomas, carcinoids, squamous cancers, etc.
  • Gastric cancer often progresses to an advanced stage by the time it is recommended. This is largely due in part to the overwhelming recommendations for proton pump inhibitors and antacids for long term use, when their original approval by the FDA was for short term (less than 14 days) use. Extended use of these medications will mask more serious conditions from being diagnosed, because the common symptom of abdominal pain is most often diagnosed as reflux without further follow-up care.[1]

Conventional Treatment

The standard conventional treatment for Gastric cancer includes:[1]

  • Curative resection with long term parenteral B12 administration.
  • Chemotherapy for both pre-operative, systemic post-operative, and advanced disease is recommended.
  • Radiation therapy for local and advanced disease is recommended.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Casciato DA. Manual of Clinical Oncology 5th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2004. PP 189-195
  2. Shah MA, Rathkopf,D, and Schwartz GK. (2007) Gastric Cancer. In Boyiadzis MM, Lebowitz PF, Frame JN, and Fojo T. Hematology - Oncology Therapy; (pp 135-143). New York, USA: McGraw-Hill Medical