Stomach cancer treatment

Treatment of stomach cancer depends on a variety of factors, including the type and stage of cancer, as well as your overall health and personal preferences. At Advocate Health Care, our goal is keep you feeling well throughout treatment without major changes to your usual routine.

Find an Advocate Cancer Institute near you.

Comprehensive approach to stomach cancer treatment

Stomach cancer diagnosis and advanced detection technology

Advocate is one of few medical providers in the Chicago region that uses endoscopic ultrasound (also called EUS or endosonography) for staging and removal of tumors in the stomach. This nonsurgical technique can find tumors measuring 1 cm – too tiny to be detected by CT scan –  and can determine whether or not cancer has invaded lymph nodes. 

When performed before surgery, endoscopic ultrasound reveals details that are significant for planning the most appropriate treatment, and whether chemotherapy or radiation therapy should be considered before surgery or whether surgery should be avoided because of lymph node involvement.

What are the treatment options for stomach cancer?

Stomach cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy drugs and surgery. Surgical removal of part or all of the stomach, known as a gastrectomy, is the most common treatment for stomach cancer.

Gastrectomy includes:

• Partial Gastrectomy: A portion of the stomach is removed as well as part of the esophagus, small intestine or lymph nodes.
• Total gastrectomy: The entire stomach is removed as well as part of the esophagus, small intestine and lymph nodes.

How do treatment options differ by cancer stage?

Stomach cancer treatment options following a stomach cancer diagnosis are determined by the cancer’s stage and its specific characteristics.

Stage 0 stomach cancer relies largely on gastrectomy. Cancers in stages I through III may first use chemotherapy to reduce the tumor’s size. For stage IV cancer, surgery is less common while the focus is on making the patient comfortable and perhaps using chemotherapy to slow or shrink the tumor.

Why choose Advocate Health for advanced stomach cancer treatment?

At Advocate Health, you benefit from the collaboration of many specialists across a broad range of expertise. Our team is dedicated to providing you with the best diagnosis and treatment for the signs and symptoms of your stomach cancer. They collaboratively consider all perspectives before recommending your treatment plan – tailored to your specific situation.

Your stomach cancer team may include:

• Gastroenterologists
• GI surgeons
• Medical oncologists
• Radiation oncologists
• Pathologists
• Oncology nurses

Need a second opinion?

One of our experts can confirm a diagnosis, review your treatment plan or explore alternate options, if needed.

Learn about our Second Opinion Program.