Stomach Cancer

The goal of stomach cancer surgery is to remove all of the stomach cancer and some of the healthy tissue, if possible.

Options include:

Removal of early-stage tumors from the gastric mucosa. Very small cancerous growths confined to the stomach lining can be removed using endoscopy in a procedure called endoscopic mucosal resection. The endoscope is a lighted tube with a camera that passes down from the throat to the stomach. The doctor uses special instruments to remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue from the stomach lining.
Removing part of the stomach (partial gastrectomy). During a partial gastrectomy, the surgeon removes only the part of the stomach that is affected by cancer.
Removal of the entire stomach (total gastrectomy). A total gastrectomy involves removing the entire stomach and a little of the surrounding tissue. Then, the esophagus is connected directly to the small intestine to allow food to move through the digestive system.
Remove the lymph nodes to look for cancer. The surgeon examines and removes lymph nodes in your abdomen and looks for cancer cells.
Surgery to relieve signs and symptoms. Removing part of the stomach can relieve the signs and symptoms of a growing tumor in people who have advanced stomach cancer. In this case, the surgery does not cure the advanced stomach cancer, but makes you feel better.

Surgery carries a risk of bleeding and infection. If all or part of your stomach is removed, you may have digestive problems.

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