nursing care for stomach cancer

what is stomach cancer?

Content is medically reviewed by:

Dr. Udaya Kumar Maiya (MBBS, MD, DNB(RT), DCCF (Paris), Medical Director, Portea.

Stomach cancer is the medical term for the abnormal growth of cancerous cells in the stomach lining. This type of cancer is difficult to diagnose since many people do not exhibit any stomach cancer symptoms until it progresses to its late stages. What makes it dangerous is that it often goes undetected and spreads to other areas of the body by the time of a proper stomach cancer diagnosis. This makes it very difficult to detect and treat. No early stomach cancer symptoms are found in patients. However, advanced stomach cancer symptoms in people range from recurring heartburn, appetite loss, bloody stools, pain in the stomach which worsens after meals, jaundice, nausea, and vomiting.

Since stomach cancer cannot be diagnosed in its early stages, your doctor will recommend performing a complete physical examination and follow that up with relevant blood tests to detect the presence of H. pylori bacteria. Some of the several stomach cancer tests include a biopsy, imaging tests, and an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

types of stomach cancer

Every stomach cancer diagnosis is different, and no treatment is the same. The different stomach cancer types in patients are:

• Adenocarcinomas – Adenocarcinomas build within the cells of the inner lining of the stomach. Most stomach cancers fall into this category.
• Lymphoma – When cancer cells grow abnormally in lymph tissues located in the stomach, it is referred to as ‘Lymphoma,’ a stomach cancer definition that is tied to the cancer of the immune system.
• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors – This is a rare type of stomach cancer found in a special cell in the lining of the stomach which develops through digestive tracts.
• Carcinoid tumours– When cancer begins in cells of the stomach which are responsible for secreting hormones, this leads to the formation of tumours which are known as carcinoid tumours.

what are some of the stomach cancer causes?

The symptoms of this illness often go unnoticed until it progresses to advanced stomach cancer stages. Some of the stomach cancer causes in patients are:

• Lack of intake or low intake of fruits and vegetables
• A diet that is high in salt and smoked meals
• Family history of stomach cancer
• Inflammation of the stomach over a long period
• Pernicious anaemia
• Smoking
• Stomach polyps
• Infections associated with Helicobacter pylori

diagnosis of stomach cancer

Doctors recommend stomach cancer tests for identifying the stage and degree of cancer in the stomach linings. Your doctor may suggest the following stomach cancer screening tests:

• Upper Endoscopy – Your doctor will search for stomach cancer symptoms and signs by dropping a thin tube with a microscopic camera into your stomach. Tissues are collected for further analysis in this stomach cancer diagnostic test.
• Imaging Tests – Special X-ray scans such as barium swallow and Computerized Tomography (CT) scans are used for locating stomach cancer.

stomach cancer treatment

Your doctor may prescribe you a stomach cancer surgery to remove the dangerous tumours from your stomach lining. Some marginal tissue may be removed to make sure no cancerous cells remain, and abdominal procedures are the most commonly recommended surgery for treating stomach cancer. Stomach cancer treatment options in patients are:

Radiation Therapy

High-powered energy beans are used to destroy cancerous cells in the stomach. The procedure carries a risk of harming other organs in the process of treatment which is why this treatment option is reserved for advanced or severe stomach cancer types.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy entails the administration of specific drugs to kill cancer cells and halt their abnormal division and growth in the stomach. The medications travel to the site of stomach cancer and destroy cells in regions they’ve metastasised to. There two different stomach cancer treatment options available for chemotherapy –  neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is used before surgery to shrink tumour cells for easy removal while adjuvant chemotherapy is used post-surgery to destroy any remnant cancerous cells in the stomach lining.

Targeted Medications

Targeted medications are used to address and resolve specific types of abnormalities which arise due to cancerous tumours in the stomach lining. People with gastrointestinal stromal tumours usually go through this treatment route.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are experimental research procedures which invent novel ways or discover new ways of treating said ‘incurable’ illnesses. This is an option for patients who couldn’t be treated despite using the above surgical procedures and precaution must be taken before enlisting for these since participants are exposed to the unknown and may develop unexplained side-effects.

when do you need us?

Stomach cancer home treatment is a delicate process, and life after surgery becomes transformative to patients since they have to embrace a new kind of lifestyle. Our team of healthcare professionals and nurses for stomach cancer treatment leave no stone unturned where taking care of patients are concerned. Our doctors visit your home, assess and perform stomach cancer diagnosis to check your condition. An appropriate treatment plan is tailored based on your current lifestyle, medical history and any existing stomach cancer symptoms within you. If complications arise due to poor diet and nutrition, our experts will evaluate your condition and send you to the hospital where the supervising doctor will play an invaluable role in guiding you towards appropriate treatment measures.

how we can help

Proper palliative care is an important part of the healing process post-surgery, and this is where our team of nurses and doctors come into play. From the very moment you sign up with our healthcare professionals, you are assured state-of-the-art medical supervision and stomach cancer care at home. Stomach cancer care patients require a high-protein, and low-sugar nutritional diet and patients with eating disorders or a lack of nutritional awareness are guided step-by-step from their homes. Through our stomach cancer treatment at home, our nurses pave the way and assist you towards greater recovery, thus increasing your chances of survival and quality of life post-surgery.

Summary

Maintaining a high quality of life and getting back up on your feet post-surgery is possible with the right palliative care. Patients, however, must be prepared to adapt to certain lifestyle and nutritional changes after they undergo treatment since recovery hinges on that.