Gastric Cancer

Overview

At Mayo Clinic, people with gastric cancer receive comprehensive, coordinated care from an experienced team of health care professionals who are committed to prevention, early detection and effective treatments. People with gastric cancer are diagnosed and treated by a team that includes physicians in gastroenterology, medical and radiation oncology, radiology, surgery, pathology and genetics. The combined knowledge and expertise of these specialists allows people with gastric cancer to receive cutting-edge treatments and thorough long-term follow-up care.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a leader in translating extensive research knowledge into effective improvements for the care of people with cancer and their families. Mayo Clinic diagnoses and treats several thousand people a year with all types of cancer and uses its vast experience to provide the most effective treatment.

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic health care professionals understand the anxiety associated with cancer and work to give people the most prompt diagnosis possible. Read more about diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Treatment Options

Mayo Clinic oncologists treat virtually every known type of cancer. The main treatment options for gastric cancers include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Patients with early cancers can be treated with surgery alone (cancer confined to wall of stomach with negative nodes), but cancers that have spread beyond the wall of the stomach or involve nodes usually require the addition of radiation or chemotherapy or both. The sequence of therapies depends on the location and extent of the cancer. Innovative treatments and services facilitate diagnosis, reduce pain, and promote healing. Read more about treatment options for gastric cancer.

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About Gastric Cancer

The stomach is a muscular sac located on the upper left side of the abdomen just below the ribs. Most stomach cancers start in the glandular cells in the stomach lining (adenocarcinomas). Occasionally, tumors may also develop in the stomach's lymphatic tissue (lymphoma) or muscle (sarcoma). About 3 percent of stomach cancers are carcinoid tumors that originate in the stomach's hormone-producing cells. Gastric cancer commonly spreads to adjacent lymph nodes and can grow through the wall to invade nearby organs such as the colon, pancreas, spleen and liver. It may spread through lymphatic channels to nearby lymph nodes or may spread though the blood stream to involve the lung, liver or more distant organs. Gastric cancer can also spread to distant organs prior to diagnosis. About 21,500 new cases of gastric cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States. Twice as many men get gastric cancer as women.

Read more at
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