This is an automatically translated article.
Stomach cancer is a disease with high morbidity and is one of the 3rd leading causes of death in the world. Especially, if the disease is detected at the metastatic stage, the prognosis is poor and the treatment is difficult.
1. What is metastatic stomach cancer?
Metastatic stomach cancer, also known as terminal gastric cancer, is a condition in which the cells of a malignant tumor that originate in the stomach have begun to spread and metastasize to at least one other part of the body. body. This stage stomach cancer can spread beyond the stomach, to nearby lymph nodes, or it can spread to one or more distant areas of the body.
The characteristics of the cancer cells found in the areas where the cells have metastasized are identical to those of cancer cells that develop in the stomach. So even in different organs of the body, it is still considered as stomach cancer.
Some of the locations where stomach cancer often spreads include:
Stomach cancer with lymph node metastasis: Lymph nodes near the stomach are always the first place where cancer cells can be. to metastasize. Then it continues to metastasize to more distant places by lymph nodes. Gastric cancer metastasis to liver: Liver metastases account for about 48% of all cases. This is one of the dangerous metastases with a very poor prognosis. Only about 4–14% of patients with gastric cancer with liver metastases are diagnosed and are more common in older patients. Peritoneal metastasis: According to statistics, the rate of gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis accounts for about 32%. Lung metastasis: The rate of metastasis from the stomach to the lungs is only about 15%. Lung metastases often occur with liver metastases. Therefore, the prognosis is poor. Stomach cancer with bone metastasis: The rate of bone metastasis accounts for about 12%. It can metastasize to the spine, femur... In addition, it can metastasize to other locations, but the extent is less common than the above locations.
Ung thư dạ dày di căn có thể lan tới một số vị trí khác trong cơ thể
2. How long does metastatic stomach cancer live?
Metastatic gastric cancer is a serious condition and has a severe prognosis. How long patients with metastatic stomach cancer live depends on many factors including the patient's age, background health, location and extent of metastasis of the tumor, and treatments.
According to statistics, the 5-year survival rate at this stage is only about 6%. The researchers estimated the median survival time for patients with metastatic gastric cancer to be about 3 months from diagnosis, with tumors that have spread to the bones and liver, the prognosis is better. worse.
However, when gastric cancer has metastasized, depending on the stage and extent of damage at the site of metastasis, the prognosis is different. In addition, the combination with appropriate treatment measures also helps patients to increase life expectancy, reduce symptoms, and improve quality of life.
3. Is metastatic stomach cancer curable?
Stomach cancer when it reaches this stage often cannot be completely cured. However, the treatment of gastric cancer at this stage can help control the disease, alleviate the symptoms of the disease, thereby improving the quality of life and helping to prolong the life of the patient.
Treatments for metastatic stomach cancer include:
Surgery: Usually surgery is indicated in the early stages. However, when the cancer has metastasized, there are still indications to keep the stomach and intestines from becoming blocked, control bleeding from the stomach caused by the tumor, and reduce symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract. other serious. Surgery may include partial or total gastrectomy. In addition, with metastatic cases, people also perform surgery to cut metastatic tissues such as lymph node dissection, partial removal of the liver or lung... Chemotherapy: A method of using drugs to be injected into the body to prevent disease. aimed at killing cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used in combination with surgery and radiation to kill cancer cells. However, the use of chemotherapy can cause some side effects, but these side effects are temporary and may subside after treatment. Radiation therapy: This method uses radiation to kill cancer cells. The radiation when used for treatment is precisely calculated on the location of the cancer to minimize the harm to healthy tissues. In metastatic gastric cancer, radiation is used to treat metastatic sites such as lymph node metastasis or bone metastasis. Combination treatment: In addition to using the above main treatment measures, people also need combined measures such as using pain relievers, antiemetics, drugs to improve health, blood transfusion if necessary... Treatments for metastatic stomach cancer often need to be combined to increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Hoá trị là một trong các phương pháp điều trị ung thư dạ dày di căn
4. Notes after stomach cancer treatment
Need to be re-examined and continued treatment according to the doctor's instructions. In case of abnormal symptoms, it is necessary to re-examine sooner. Eat nutritious food and get enough rest to improve resistance. Avoid stimulant foods such as alcohol, hot spicy foods... Keep an optimistic mind, you can limit stress by doing appropriate exercise. Metastatic gastric cancer has a poor prognosis, the 5-year survival rate is very low. But with treatment, the survival time can be longer than without treatment, treatment also helps reduce discomfort and pain for the patient. Early screening for stomach cancer in high-risk individuals helps in early detection and possible treatment of the disease.
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