Valley is aware of the nationwide supply disruption of IV fluid solution due to Hurricane Helene, and wants to reassure the community that steps have been taken to ensure the situation will have no negative impact on our patients and the community.
Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, starts in the tissue that makes up the lining of your stomach.
While the exact causes of stomach cancer aren’t known, it’s thought that diet and lifestyle play roles. Drinking alcohol, smoking, and eating smoked or processed meat may increase your risk. Certain infections, hereditary diseases, and even sores in the stomach can also be associated with stomach cancer.
The most common type of stomach cancer is adenocarcinoma, which starts in the innermost layer of your stomach tissue. More rare types can grow in other layers, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), lymphomas and neuroendocrine tumors.
Signs of stomach cancer can be vague, or there could be no signs the early stages. By the time symptoms start, the cancer may be more advanced. It’s important to recognize the signs early for the best chance of survival.
Symptoms of stomach cancer can be mild at first and look like other conditions. See one of Valley’s experienced gastroenterologists if you experience these symptoms for more than two weeks:
At Valley, you’ll have a team of specialists working with you and each other to treat your stomach cancer. Your care team may include gastroenterologists, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists and others.
Together, our team will offer you the highest level of diagnostic and treatment expertise. We’ll work with you to make decisions about your care — tailoring your care to your specific needs and preferences.
Depending on the type of stomach cancer and where it’s located, surgery is often the first line of treatment.
This surgery, known as a gastrectomy, removes part of or the entire stomach. It also includes removing nearby lymph nodes and sometimes surrounding tissue and organs.
Our surgeons use these minimally invasive methods whenever possible:
Minimally invasive surgery typically results in less pain and faster recovery.
Chemotherapy and surgery are the standard of care for stomach cancer. Your stomach cancer treatment may also include targeted therapies and/or immunotherapies.
Our experienced medical oncology team specializes in using precision medicine to determine the right therapies for your specific cancer. We often use next-generation sequencing (NGS) of your tumor tissue and genetic testing to help optimize your care.
We also offer clinical trials that may give you access to treatments that are not yet widely available.