Stomach cancer

Stomach cancer presenting symptoms can include weight loss and abdominal pain. Patients with proximal or gastroesophageal junction tumors may present with dysphagia.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy demonstrating carcinoma is required to confirm the diagnosis. Staging based on imaging is required.

Early-stage disease is treated with surgery alone.

Treatment for locally advanced disease includes surgery followed by postoperative chemoradiation or chemotherapy before or after surgery.

Metastatic disease is treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or chemoradiation and supportive care measures. Treatment is influenced by tumor biomarker expression.

Common complications are gastric bleeding and gastric outlet obstruction.

Stomach cancer is a neoplasm that can develop in any portion of the stomach and may spread to the lymph nodes and other organs. Most tumors are adenocarcinomas. Other histologic types include lymphoma, leiomyosarcoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and squamous cell carcinomas, but these are uncommon and will not be discussed here.