Stomach Cancer

The stomach is the "bag" that receives food from the oesophagus. If you have been diagnosed with stomach cancer you will need tests to determine the stage of your cancer. This generally involves a CT scan, a staging laparoscopy operation (keyhole inspection inside the abdomen), and repeat endoscopy.

Your situation with stomach cancer will be discussed at a Multi-disciplinary Tumour Board meeting in which the advice of the whole cancer team is provided. The team involves medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons and others.

Unless you have a very early cancer that can be treated by endoscopic removal, you may require surgery to remove the cancer. If surgery is needed, then the lymph nodes around the stomach are also removed. The surgery can be performed either through a relatively long single incision (open surgery or laparotomy) or as a keyhole operation (laparoscopic operation).