1. Breast Cancer Slideshow Pictures
2. Pancreatic Cancer Slideshow Pictures
3. Skin Cancer Slideshow Pictures

In this Article

• What is the stomach?
• What is cancer, and how does stomach cancer spread?
• What are risk factors and causes of stomach cancer?
• What are symptoms of stomach cancer?
• How is stomach cancer diagnosed?
• How is staging determined?
• What is the treatment for stomach cancer?
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• How do I go about getting a second opinion?
• What are some of the nutritional concerns of stomach cancer patients?
• What are treatment options for cancer that blocks the digestive tract?
• What follow-up care is necessary for stomach cancer patients? What about complementary and alternative medicine?
• What support is there for cancer patients?
• How can I take part in clinical trials for stomach cancer?
• Stomach Cancer At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Stomach Cancer - Surgery
• Patient Comments: Stomach Cancer - Describe Your Experience
• Patient Comments: Stomach Cancer - Symptoms
• Find a local Oncologist in your town
• Stomach Cancer Index

The type of surgery for stomach cancer depends mainly on where the cancer is located. The surgeon may remove the whole stomach or only the part that has the cancer.

You and your surgeon can talk about the types of surgery and which may be right for you:

• Partial (subtotal) gastrectomy for tumors at the lower part of the stomach: The surgeon removes the lower part of the stomach with the cancer. The surgeon attaches the remaining part of the stomach to the intestine. Nearby lymph nodes and other tissues may also be removed.



• Total gastrectomy for tumors at the upper part of the stomach: The surgeon removes the entire stomach, nearby lymph nodes, parts of the esophagus and small intestine, and other tissues near the tumor. Rarely, the spleen also may be removed. The surgeon then connects the esophagus directly to the small intestine.

The time it takes to heal after surgery is different for each person, and you may be in the hospital for a week or longer. You may have pain for the first few days. Medicine can help control your pain. Before surgery, you should discuss the plan for pain relief with your doctor or nurse. After surgery, your doctor can adjust the plan if you need more pain relief.

Many people who have stomach surgery feel tired or weak for a while. Your health care team will watch for signs of bleeding, infection, or other problems that may require treatment.

The surgery can also cause constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms usually can be controlled with diet changes and medicine. See the Nutrition section for information about eating after surgery.