Stage Four Stomach Cancer Survival Rate
Stage Four Stomach Cancer Survival Rate What You Need to Know
Stage four stomach cancer survival rate is very slim. Only few patients among 100 can survive from this cancer. However, every stomach cancer patient must not lose hope about surviving. There is always a chance to survive as long as there is identified stomach cancer treatment. Studying the symptoms, causes and treatments of stomach cancer can help much in preventing it.
The problem about stomach cancer is that it is very hard to diagnose it during the early stage. This is one reason why most patients would only find out they are suffering from stage 2, 3 or 4. In fact, the survival rates of early stages are very high. In contrast, there is a low stage 4 stomach cancer survival rate. This is the stomach cancer prognosis that makes all the difference to the life of a patient. Nevertheless, finding treatment and cure is the only way to survive.
There are various stomach cancer symptoms to name. Among the common signs of stomach cancer are abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue. The stomach also starts to expand during eating which makes the tumor grows larger. Bloody stools are also a common symptom of this cancer. Identifying these symptoms can help you prevent stomach cancer from getting worse.
Laser Therapy Or Stent
Laser therapy can be used to destroy tumors, stop bleeding, or alleviate a blockage in the stomach.
This can sometimes be accomplished without surgery.
The doctor inserts a long, flexible tube called an endoscope down the throat and into the stomach to deliver the laser beam. This is also called endoscopic tumor ablation.
Hollow tubes called stents can sometimes help. By placing a stent between the stomach and esophagus or between the stomach and small intestine, food will be able to pass through unobstructed.
Stage Groups For Stomach Cancer
Doctors assign the stage of the cancer by combining the T, N, and M classifications .
Stage 0: This is also called carcinoma in situ. The cancer is found only on the surface of the epithelium. The cancer has not grown into any other layers of the stomach. This stage is considered an early cancer .
Stage IA: The cancer has grown into the inner layer of the wall of the stomach. It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other organs .
Stage IB: Stomach cancer is called stage IB in either of these 2 conditions:
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The cancer has grown into the inner layers of the wall of the stomach. It has spread to 1 to 2 lymph nodes but not elsewhere .
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The cancer has grown into the outer muscular layers of the wall of the stomach. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or other organs .
Stage IIA: Stomach cancer is called stage IIA for any of these conditions:
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The cancer has grown into the inner layer of the wall of the stomach. It has spread to 3 to 6 lymph nodes but not elsewhere .
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The cancer has grown into the outer muscular layers of the wall of the stomach. It has spread to 1 to 2 lymph nodes but not elsewhere .
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The cancer has grown through all of the layers of the muscle into the connective tissue outside the stomach. It has not grown into the peritoneal lining or serosa or spread to any lymph nodes or surrounding organs .
Stage IIB: Stomach cancer is called stage IIB for any of these conditions:
Stage IIIA: Stomach cancer is called stage IIIA for any of these conditions:
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How Can I Prevent Stomach Cancer
You cant prevent stomach cancer, but you can reduce your risk if you:
- Treat H. pylori infection if you test positive. H. pylori infection is a significant risk factor for developing stomach cancer.
- Treat ulcers, gastritis and other stomach conditions promptly. Untreated stomach conditions, especially those caused by H. pylori bacteria, increase your risk of stomach cancer.
- Eat healthy. Eating a healthy diet thats high in fruits and vegetables and low in salts and red meats can reduce your stomach cancer risk. Foods high in vitamin C, beta-carotene and carotenoids, such as citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables and carrots, are good sources of key nutrients.
- Avoid smoking and using tobacco products. Tobacco use increases your risk of stomach cancer and many other cancers.
- Maintain a healthy weight. What counts as a healthy weight varies from person to person. Ask your provider what a healthy weight means for you.
Researching Stage 4 Cancer Alternatives
So it wasnt my first bout with cancer either. So, the medical establishment just had nothing at all to offer me. So, I went home and between my husband and I we got on the internet and were looking for alternatives.
Early on in my research I came across a report on a clinical trial done by Dr. Santori and Warburg, who actually won the Nobel peace prize in medicine for curing cancer with cesium.** And because I found that clinical trial pretty early on in my research, I decided that if it was good enough for a Nobel peace prize you know it was probably good enough for me.
**A Note About Warburg and SartoriNeither Dr. Sartori nor Dr. Warburg earned Nobel prizes for curing cancer with cesium chloride. Otto Warburg did win the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1931 for his investigation of the metabolism of tumors and the respiration of cells, particularly cancer cells. He wrote The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer based on his years of research and was nominated for the Nobel Prize award 47 times over the course of his career. H.E. Sartori, M.D. researched the affects of diet and nutrition on cancer occurrence. He wrote Cesium Therapy in Cancer Patients in 1984 about a study he conducted using cesium chloride therapy on 50 patients with cancer.
Larry: Right.
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The Ajcc Tnm Staging System
The staging system most often used for stomach cancer is the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM system, which was last updated in 2018.
This system is used to stage all stomach cancers except those starting in the gastroesophageal junction or those that start in the cardia and are growing into the gastroesophageal junction. Those cancers are staged like cancers of the esophagus. Other types of cancer that can start in the stomach, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors and lymphomas, are staged differently as well.
The TNM system for stomach cancer is based on 3 key pieces of information:
The T category describes the extent of the main tumor, including how far it has grown into the layers of the stomach wall and if it has reached nearby structures or organs.
The 5 layers of the stomach wall include:
- Mucosa: the innermost layer, where nearly all stomach cancers start. The mucosa has 3 parts: epithelial cells, a layer of connective tissue , and a thin layer of muscle .
- Submucosa: a supporting layer under the mucosa
- Muscularis propria: a thick layer of muscle that moves and mixes the stomach contents
- Serosa: the outer, wrapping layer of the stomach
The N category describes any cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes.
The M category describes any spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs.
Numbers or letters after T, N, and M provide more details about each of these factors. Higher numbers mean the cancer is more advanced.
Cytoreductive Surgery And Hipec In Germany
In the case of the spread of stage 4 stomach cancer to the peritoneum, doctors perform cytoreductive surgery removal of visible tumor foci. However, surgical interventions for stomach tumors often cause additional dissemination of cancer cells in the abdominal cavity and their rapid multiplication. To avoid this complication and increase the survival rate of patients, German doctors destroy the remaining abnormal cells using hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy .
The essence of the HIPEC method is that the abdominal cavity is washed with a solution of chemotherapy drugs heated to 40-44 °C. The procedure is more effective than classical chemotherapy and has the following advantages:
- Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy allows delivering high doses of drugs directly to the tumor foci.
- Heating the solution allows the drugs to penetrate cancer cells and enhances their antitumor properties.
- Despite the high concentrations of chemotherapy drugs, they do not penetrate the systemic circulation and do not cause any side effects.
- The effect on cancer cells continues for a long time after the procedure.
Washing with chemotherapy drugs is performed using drainage systems. The procedure lasts about one and a half hours. The technique demonstrates excellent results after a single application, and therefore repeated procedures are not required.
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Standard Treatment And Its Disadvantages
Stage 4 stomach cancer is diagnosed when metastases are detected in areas of the body distant from the primary tumor. Treatment for most patients includes only chemotherapy, palliative surgery, and symptomatic therapy. However, such an approach has considerable risks. These are as follows:
- Surgery does not increase the survival rate of patients with stomach cancer.
- Symptomatic therapy can alleviate the condition of patients only in the short term.
- Standard chemotherapy harms the healthy cells in the body, thereby causing various complications.
- Only 15-20% of patients with metastases in the abdominal cavity achieve positive results after chemotherapy. The treatment indicators can be improved by increasing the dose of chemotherapy drugs, but it is impossible due to their toxicity.
Doctors in Germany provide treatment according to improved protocols, which allow them to use high concentrations of chemotherapy drugs, perform successful surgery and eliminate complications. Moreover, all treatment methods are safe and have fewer complications.
Why Is It Better To Undergo Treatment In Germany
Germany offers high-quality treatment for gastric cancer and a wide range of medical procedures for patients. Germany is:
- High level of professionalism of oncologists German doctors can work in oncology hospitals only after long practical and academic training.
- State-of-the-art medical equipment and advanced methods modern technologies allow specialists to diagnose cancer and provide an effective treatment.
- Comfortable rehabilitation plays a huge role in the treatment of cancer aimed at the maximum possible recovery of patients.
European hospitals offer high standards of medical care.
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Tnm Staging System And Stomach Cancer
The American Joint Committee on Cancer developed the TNM staging system for evaluating the extent and spread of stomach cancer. The staging process is a basis for selecting treatment options and helping doctors communicate potential outcomes . The TNM system considers three important factors:
T : This describes the size and growth of the primary stomach tumor.
N : This provides information about stomach cancer found in regional lymph nodes.
M : This indicates whether the cancer has metastasized, or spread to other areas. Stomach cancer most commonly spreads to the liver, but may also metastasize to the lungs, lymph nodes or the peritoneum, or the lining of the abdominal cavity.
Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis
Larry: What story do you have to tell?
July 3rd of 2010 I got a call from my oncologist. On the 28th of June I had had an endoscopy and some blood work and imaging done. And the 3rd of July 2010 I got the diagnosis. I had stomach, liver, lymph, adrenal, pancreatic cancer. And then about 5 months down the road they found that I had metates in my lung and my brain. My prognosis was there was nothing medically that they could do for me and that I had about 3 weeks to live. Basically if I was lucky.
Larry: Not a very good outcome is it?
Well it was not a nice prognosis no. And Im a retired nurse and Id had some experience with using natural means to fight cancer because I am now a six time cancer survivor.
Larry: Wow.
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Supportive Alternative Cancer Therapies
Larry: Did you ever try any other therapies.
Well I, along with the cesium, I used calcium, magnesium, potassium and I used at times quite a bit of oxygen. That was something that in our research we found that was helpful. For probably 3 or 4 months I also used some DMSO. We learned that pepper was very useful in helping to get rid of cancer cells, so we used that. I mean, we used a little bit of everything. Anything that we came across that said that it you know could kill cancer we probably did try it.
Larry: So how long did you stay on the therapy?
16 months.
Yes, 16 months.
Larry: So its not a quick fix?
No probably not. I cant speak for other people. It depends on how much cesium you take. How high that you keep your pH. In reading the clinical trial, I found that half of the patients that they were allowed to test to use this protocol on half of them died. And even they thought that it might be because that they went at it a little hard, you know.
Larry: Yeah I think that a lot of the information online about the amount that you should take is completely wrong. I believe you shouldnt take more than 3 grams a day and then sometimes a lot let depending on your body weight.
Yeah. It does make a big difference. Yeah. And over the course of treatment I lost probably 60 pounds.
Larry: Wow.
Immunotherapy For The Treatment Of Stomach Cancer Stage 4 In Germany
Checkpoints a system of molecular mechanisms, which allow the tumors to evade the body’s immune response, are located on the surface of most tumor cells. As a result, the immune system does not recognize malignant cells and cannot destroy them.
Checkpoint inhibitors immunotherapy drugs that block the molecular mechanisms of tumor masking can be used for patients with stage 4 cancer. As a result, immune aggression against cancer cells is enhanced.
At the advanced stage of gastric cancer, checkpoint inhibitors affecting the PD-1 and PD-L1 proteins are included in the therapy regimen. These drugs do not have an anti-cancer effect, but they make the treatment easier to tolerate than chemotherapy.
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Stage 4 Stomach Cancer
This is the most advanced form of the disease. In stage 4, the cancer has metastasized, or spread, beyond the stomach into other areas of the body. About four out of five stomach cancers in the United States are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
Stomach cancer can be considered stage 4 even if it hasnt reached nearby lymph nodes or spread into the stomach walls layers. If the cancer has spread to faraway sites, including the lungs, liver, brain, or the tissue surrounding abdominal organs , it is classified as stage 4 stomach cancer.
About four out of five stomach cancers in the United States are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
Doctors usually use five-year relative survival rates to communicate cancer survival odds. These rates represent the likelihood that someone with a particular cancer will survive five years or longer after diagnosis, compared with patients who dont have that cancer. While survival statistics can provide useful knowledge, they are only estimates, and a lot of variability can occur from one patient to the next. Also, these numbers are based on patients who were diagnosed in the past, so they cant account for changes in treatment options or outcomes.
Below are the five-year relative survival rates for stomach cancer, according to SEER stages.
- Localized: 69.9 percent
Will Stomach Cancer Return
It is possible to destroy or remove gastric cancers. Although it can be very exciting to finish treatment, many people struggle with the years that follow with the concern and fear of its return. However, it doesn’t always come back.
According to a 2016 study¹, recurrence occurred for only 20.5% of patients. Of those 266 patients, 182 experienced their cancer coming back within less than two years, 61 patients were between two and five years, and 23 patients were after five years of successful treatment.
The study found that the chances of stomach cancer returning after five years was heavily linked to age, operation type, stage, tumor size, and location of the cancer recurrence.
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Treatment Of Stage I Gastric Cancer
In This Section
Treatment options for stage I gastric cancer include the following:
Regional lymphadenectomy is recommended with all of the above procedures. Splenectomy is not routinely performed.
Surgical resection
Surgical resection including regional lymphadenectomy is the treatment ofchoice for patients with stage I gastric cancer. If the lesion is not inthe cardioesophageal junction and does not diffusely involve the stomach,subtotal gastrectomy is the procedure of choice, because it has been demonstratedto provide equivalent survival when compared with total gastrectomy and isassociated with decreased morbidity. When thelesion involves the cardia, proximal subtotal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy may be performed with curativeintent. If the lesion diffusely involves the stomach, total gastrectomy isrequired. At a minimum, surgical resection includes greater and lessercurvature perigastric regional lymph nodes. In patients with stage Igastric cancer, perigastric lymph nodes may contain cancer.
Endoscopic mucosal resection
Evidence :
Evidence :
Cellular Classification Of Gastric Cancer
The two major types of gastric adenocarcinoma are the following:
Intestinal adenocarcinomas are well differentiated, and the cells tend to arrange themselves in tubular or glandular structures. The terms tubular, papillary, and mucinous are assigned to the various types of intestinal adenocarcinomas. Rarely, adenosquamous cancers can occur.
Diffuse adenocarcinomas are undifferentiated or poorly differentiated, and they lack a gland formation. Clinically, diffuse adenocarcinomas can give rise to infiltration of the gastric wall .
Some tumors can have mixed features of intestinal and diffuse types.
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