Diagnosis and Prognosis of Stomach Cancer
by
Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD The doctor will ask about your symptoms, and medical and family history. The abdominal area will be carefully examined. Your doctor may look for other possible causes of your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend different tests in order to identify if cancer or other gastrointestinal conditions are suspected. Suspicion of Stomach CancerIf you are having gastrointestinal symptoms, your doctor may conduct certain tests to identify abnormalities. These may include:
Diagnosis of Stomach CancerDiagnosis of stomach cancer is confirmed with a biopsy. A biopsy is a collection of tissue samples that are removed from the stomach lining. Tissue samples can also be taken from the esophagus and first part of the small intestine. After removal, the samples are examined under a microscope. This is the only way to confirm a diagnosis. Staging of Stomach CancerIf stomach cancer is confirmed, results from completed tests and new tests will help determine the stage of cancer. Staging is used to determine characteristics of the tumor that will help develop the prognosis and treatment plan. Factors that play a role in staging include where the tumor is found, how far the original tumor has spread, whether lymph nodes are involved, if cancer has spread to other tissue, and microscopic cellular details. Surgical StagingSurgical staging is done with an exploratory laparotomy or endoscopy. During exploratory laparotomy, an incision is made in the abdominal wall to gain access to the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The areas can be examined for the presence of tumors. If cancer has not visibly spread, a peritoneal wash may be done. Saline solution is used to wash the abdominal cavity. Samples are taken to look for the presence of cancer cells in the wash. Their presence indicates that cancer has spread beyond the stomach, even if tumors are not visible. Staging TestsTests that may help determine stomach cancer stage:
Stages of Stomach CancerThe stomach is made of a number of tissue layers.
The location and depth of tumor is important in staging. Stomach cancer is staged from 0-IV.
For planning treatment, sometimes another staging method is used. In this method, staging is based on whether or not the tumor can be surgically removed. These stages include
PrognosisPrognosis is a forecast of the probable course and/or outcome of a disease or condition. Prognosis is most often expressed as the percentage of patients who are expected to survive over 5 or 10 years. Cancer prognosis is an inexact science. This is because the predictions are based on the experience of large groups of patients with cancer in various stages. Using this information to predict the future of an individual patient is always imperfect and often flawed, but it is the only method available. Stomach cancer is usually found in later stages. As a result, the number of patients who survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis is fairly low, about 29%. Individual rates depend on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Survival rates decrease as cancer stages increase.
References:
Gastric carcinoma. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:
http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116155/Gastric-carcinoma
. Updated September 27, 2016. Accessed September 1, 2017.
Gastric cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at:
https://www.cancer.gov/types/stomach/patient/stomach-treatment-pdq. Updated April 27, 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. How is stomach cancer diagnosed? American Cancer Society website. Available at:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/how-diagnosed.html. Updated February 10, 2016. Accessed September 1, 2017. How is stomach cancer staged? American Cancer Society website. Available at:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging.html. Updated February 10, 2016. Accessed September 1, 2017. Stages of gastric cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at
https://www.cancer.gov/types/stomach/patient/stomach-treatment-pdq#section/_26. Updated April 27, 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. Stomach cancer. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: ...(Click grey area to select URL) Updated January 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. Last reviewed September 2018 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Michael Woods, MD, FAAP | ||
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation. This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition. To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days. |
Home |Terms and Conditions |Concerned About Privacy? |Accessibility |Careers |For Employers and Medical Plan Providers
Copyright © 2011 Caremark, L.L.C.
You may also be looking for: CVS/pharmacy | MinuteClinic | Specialty Pharmacy | SilverScript | Accordant