How can I choose the best treatment of stomach cancer?
To choose the best option to treat stomach cancer, you will probably have to evaluate three main factors; Your overall health, the stage of your cancer and the size and location of your tumor. Treatment of this type of cancer may include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, and you may also want to find out if you are entitled to clinical studies of new treatment options. In addition to your health and the specific nature of your illness, you may also want to look at the risks with certain procedures to see if they are prevailing about potential benefits, as well as to evaluate whether you can live with side effects.
One of the primary considerations in choosing stomach cancer treatment is the general health of the patient. All treatment options can be very physically demanding, and if you are weak and in poor health, you may not be able to withstand the necessary procedures. If the risk of providing specific treatment is greater than its potential positive effects or if your cancer is very late phase and some treatment rightIt will not help, you may need to consider other options.
The right choice of stomach cancer treatment is very dependent on what stage your cancer is and how big your tumor is and where it is. A small tumor in the early stage can be surgically relatively easily removed, with some subsequent chemotherapy or radiation to ensure that all cancer cells are killed. A larger tumor may require radiation and chemotherapy before surgery to reduce, and may also mean that some or the entire stomach needs to be removed. If your cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs, surgery may be more extensive or may not be possible, which means that radiation and chemotherapy may be the only options. In all cases, the sooner your cancer is detected and treated, the better your chance of cure.
Another consideration you will probably beTo have stomach cancer treatment, it is whether its possible benefits are greater than its risks. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, as well as all the new treatment that is still tested, all bear risks and may have some very negative side effects. If the likelihood of treatment is to improve the quality of life, prolong your life or cure cancer is too low, it may not be your best choice.