Gastric Cancer
Our team of international experts will match you with the most advanced, effective surgery and treatment, based on the stage and biology of your cancer. Stomach cancer, or gastric cancer, is one of the most complex to treat — and therefore best managed by a multidisciplinary team of experts.
At John Theurer Cancer Center, gastrointestinal oncologists and surgeons work hand-in-hand with radiation oncologists, pathologists, interventional radiologists, gastroenterologists, oncology nurses, physical therapists, nutritionists, social workers, palliative medicine providers and others to customize a plan of treatment that meets your personal needs. Our goal is to treat your cancer while taking into account all physical, functional, emotional and quality-of-life aspects of your disease during this challenging time. We don’t just care for you, but about you.
Diagnosing & Staging Stomach Cancer
Although there is no standard or routine screening test for stomach cancer, several types of screening tests are used to detect it at an early stage, including:
takes x-rays of the esophagus and stomach.
Involves inserting a scope through the patient’s mouth and into the esophagus and stomach to look for tumors and to remove a sample of tumor tissue for biopsy. The results can help determine if the patient is eligible for stomach cancer surgery.
A blood test to measure serum pepsinogen levels. Low levels of pepsinogen are a sign of chronic gastric atrophy which may lead to stomach cancer.
Infrared imaging is used to search for cancer cells in the lymph nodes and to assess the success of stomach cancer surgery, resulting in more accurate staging, more effective cancer control and fewer complications.
Stomach Cancer Treatment Options
Gastric cancers can have wide-ranging effects on your health, nutritional status and quality of life. Your entire treatment team will meet regularly to discuss your case and share knowledge so they can tailor a treatment plan that is unique to your needs, priorities and preferences.
If surgery is necessary, our gastrointestinal cancer surgeons have exceptional expertise performing a high volume of surgical techniques annually. Whenever possible, they use minimally invasive approaches, including robotic-assisted surgery, which results in smaller incisions, less discomfort after surgery and a speedier return to your normal activities.
- GIST tumor surgery: Robotic-assisted surgery to remove gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
- Radiofrequency ablation: Uses intense heat to remove cancerous tissue.
- Robotic gastrectomy: Partial or total removal of the stomach.
We offer chemotherapy combinations and targeted therapies based on the latest medical research findings and the biology of your disease.
We provide the most advanced radiation therapy available to finely target radiation to tumors while sparing nearby healthy tissue.
Our Research and Clinical Trials
At Hackensack Meridian Health, you may have the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial of new and exciting approaches to stem cell transplant. Our research has a strong focus on reducing the complications of transplant and also lowering the risk of disease recurrence. We are the first in the world to combine checkpoint inhibitors (drugs that inhibit the proteins cancer cells use to evade detection by the immune system) after transplantation, at a time when the immune system has the best opportunity to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
