Stomach cancer stage 4: Treatment and care solutions

Stage 4 stomach cancer is the most advanced form of the disease. In the late stages, the cancer has metastasized or spread beyond the stomach into other areas of the body. The 5-year survival rate for people diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer is about 4%.

Cancer stages are sorted by how far the tumor has spread (metastasized) at the time of diagnosis. Knowing the stage of stomach cancer helps determine the treatment options, as well as the patient's prognosis.
In stage 4, stomach cancer has spread through the tissues, blood or lymphatic system, to distant parts of the body. Cancer cells may appear in organs such as the liver, lungs, or distant lymph nodes. Stage 4 is also known as late-stage stomach cancer.

Stage 4 stomach cancer is more difficult to treat than early stage stomach cancer. This is because the tumor is no longer confined to the stomach, but may have involved more distant organs. This disease is usually not curable, but it is certainly treatable.
The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and control the growth of cancer cells. Your doctor will recommend therapies based on your patient's age and overall health, as well as the specific features of your illness.
Often when treating cancer, it is necessary to combine many therapies together. The patient's treatment plan can be adjusted based on the effectiveness of the treatment. Therefore, patients need to let the doctor know as soon as they notice new symptoms to promptly adjust the regimen.
Some treatments for stage 4 stomach cancer are:
2.1. Laser therapy or stenting Laser therapy works to destroy tumors, stop bleeding or limit blockages in the stomach. This is also known as endoscopic tumor resection, which can sometimes be done without surgery. Specifically, the doctor will insert an endoscope (long and flexible) through the throat down to the stomach to deliver a laser beam.
Another option is to place a stent between the stomach and esophagus or between the stomach and small intestine. Food will then be able to pass through these hollow tubes unimpeded.

2.2. Surgery The doctor will surgically remove part of the stomach with the tumor, thereby controlling stomach bleeding and reducing pain.
If the tumor is located in the lower part of the stomach and prevents food from passing, your doctor may recommend a gastrectomy. A portion of the small intestine is then attached to the upper part of the stomach, bypassing the tumor below and allowing food to drain out of the stomach.
Sometimes, stomach cancer will make it difficult for patients to eat, so they need to implant a feeding tube through the skin into the stomach to get enough nutrients.
2.3. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning it treats tumors throughout the body. Chemotherapy drugs can help shrink tumors, relieve symptoms, and prolong life.
2.4. Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is a targeted treatment, meaning it works on certain tumors. The radiation has the ability to shrink tumors, stop bleeding and relieve pain.
2.5. Drug therapy or targeted immunotherapy Targeted drug therapy can be used to treat advanced stomach cancer. These drugs attack specific features of the tumor, for example:
stromal tumors: imatinib (Gleevec), regorafenib (Stivarga), sunitinib (Sutent),... Advanced stomach cancer but other treatments don't work: ramucirumab (Cyramza) HER2-positive tumors: trastuzumab (Herceptin) Meanwhile, immunotherapy boosts a person's immune system to attack cancer cells letters. For example, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is an immunotherapy drug used to treat recurrent or metastatic stomach cancer in patients who have failed to respond to or have stopped responding to at least 2 types of chemotherapy.

Because stomach cancer can interfere with eating and the passage of food through the digestive system, the patient can become malnourished. Dietitians can assist patients in optimizing their very restrictive and inadequate diets.
Your doctor may also prescribe supplements, pain relievers, or other medications to help you combat a variety of symptoms. So patients need to make sure to tell their doctor about all unusual symptoms in order to find effective ways to manage them.
You can also ask your doctor about palliative care steps that focus on easing symptoms and improving quality of life. Patients can receive palliative care even during cancer treatment.

In this regard, there are several important things to keep in mind:
Many factors influence a patient's prognosis, including age, overall health, and the treatments chosen . Everyone will react to treatments differently, and it's impossible to predict how your body will react. Prognosis is also based on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, the median survival rate for all stages of stomach cancer is 31.5%. The 5-year survival rate for stage 4 stomach cancer is 5.3%.
This number is based on diseases diagnosed between 2009 - 2015. Meanwhile, cancer treatments continue to improve, so the latest treatment options and better prognosis. has not yet been fully reflected. Doctors will review each patient's complete medical record to help them understand their own prognosis.
In a nutshell, the goal of treatment for stage 4 stomach cancer is to slow the cancer's growth and control symptoms. It is important for patients to make the best use of available treatment opportunities. Innovative new treatments are helping people with end-stage stomach cancer have a better quality of life and a longer survival time.
Currently, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital is one of the first 4 hospitals in Vietnam to deploy a robot for gastric cancer surgery with outstanding advantages such as:
Thoroughly dissecting tumors Limited Maximize pain and blood loss Shorten recovery time and hospital stay. Vinmec Times City has equipped with modern machinery and equipment system, bringing high treatment efficiency. In particular, the Da Vinci robot made in the United States is extremely advanced, has a sophisticated and modern structure, has 4 arms that perfectly simulate human hand movements, meeting the needs of surgery with high requirements. . Thanks to the good quality of examination and treatment, the hospital has partly helped cancer patients improve their quality of life as well as minimize the effects of the disease on their health.

Reference source: healthline.com - cancercenter.com