Treatment of local gastric cancer

You will typically receive chemotherapy already before the surgery. With chemotherapy, our aim is to reduce the tumor mass and thus influence the surgical outcome.

In surgery, we aim to remove the cancer tissue completely. Sometimes this can be achieved with partial resection of the stomach, but usually the stomach has to be removed completely. At the same time, we also remove the lymph nodes located near the stomach, and sometimes we also remove the spleen.  

If the cancerous tumor is located at the junction of the esophagus and stomach, i.e. in the cardia, we will also have to remove the lowest part of the esophagus during surgery. After removal, the esophagus will be connected to the small intestine to make it possible to eat. 

After partial gastric resection, you will be able to eat almost normally in the future. If the stomach is removed completely, you need to make changes to your diet and eating rhythm, especially in the early stage. The recommended diet consists of frequent small portions of high-protein and high-fat foods. 

If your condition allows, we will provide you with chemotherapy as complementary treatment after surgery. We will continue drug treatments for a few months after surgery. With the treatments, we can reduce the risk of gastric cancer recurrence. 

Radiation therapy alone is not an effective form of treatment for gastric cancer, but when combined with chemotherapy, as so-called chemoradiotherapy, it can be used as postoperative treatment for a high-risk disease, especially when the cancer tissue has not been completely removed.