Stomach cancer is a dreaded disease. If not detected early, it progresses fast and has a poor outcome.
However, in recent times, there has been some promising breakthroughs in its management that has revived hope for the patients.
One of the most important development that has improved the outcome for these patients is the way surgery is done. The Japanese surgeons have taught us that the extent of surgery should be expanded to incorporate a larger area of dissection around the tumor so that tiny cancer cells that may have spread can also be excised. To put it more plainly, we are now cutting more tissues away from the tumor so that the chance of cure may be increased. The reader must not interpret this as surgery becoming more invasive, but understanding that this approach attempts to contain the disease better.
Even the way the surgery is done has improved dramatically. The instruments that have made a lot of difference are- retractors, blood vessel sealers, staplers, etc. In plain language, the surgery has become simpler, faster with less blood loss and more efficient. Gone are the days of tying each vessel and cutting with human hands of the assistant retracting the tissues. Nowadays, technology has rapidly replaced these tedious maneuvers. The surgery that we used to do in hours has decreased dramatically, leading an improved recovery of the patient.
In certain selected cases, the operation can be done with laparoscopy thereby minimizing pain, hospital stay and recovery. Yes, it’s not unthinkable. Many cancers such as those affecting the stomach, colon, esophagus and pancreatic can be resected laparoscopically by trained experts.
However, it’s wise to remember that these modern gadgets and expertise are available only in dedicated centres and employed most effectively by the experienced.
The management of the patient during hospital stay has also improved vastly. Pain, for instance, can now be managed so well that the patient may not even feel the discomfort of the incision. The single most important reason why patients, especially in our country, do not like to pursue surgery for cancer is because of the pain involved. Of course, other misconceptions also prevail discouraging them to adopt surgery. Improved Pain management in the form of epidural analgesia has vastly made the difference.
The critical care in the ICU has also become more vigilant thanks to the development of ICU gadgets.
Another important issue that was unaddressed earlier has found a solution in many cases in recent times. And that issue is about ‘what to do for a large stomach tumor that is too big to be taken out?’. Nowadays, if we find that such a tumor is quite big, we can give certain treatment to make the tumor smaller and then take the tumor out. It works in certain cases.
To conclude, stomach cancer is a dangerous disease that has been managed more effectively in recent times with the help of better planning, surgical technique and availability of technology. Choosing the right surgery by the experienced surgeon will ultimately translate into better outcome in terms of survival and comfort in what was otherwise thought to be a gloomy disease.
For more info watch the video on Youtube.