New hope for stomach cancer patients

New research has found that the survival rate for stomach cancer patients is much greater if chemotherapy is used before and after surgery. This discovery is set to have a significant impact on the treatment of stomach cancer, which was previously fought with surgery alone.

Researchers in the UK examined 500 patients over 5 years. The patients who received chemotherapy were found to be 13% more likely to survive the cancer than those who didn’t. The 5 year survival rate was 36% in the chemotherapy group compared with 23% in the surgery only group. For stomach cancer patients, that percentage could make all the difference.

It was found that depending on the extent of the cancer and the level of lymph node involvement, the patient may need more aggressive treatment with radiation, chemotherapy or both in addition to the surgery.

The researchers concluded that chemotherapy given before surgery would have the following advantages:

• Increase the success of surgery by reducing the size of the tumor
• Eliminate small cancers growing away from the main tumor
• Rapidly improve tumor-related symptoms
• Determine whether the tumor is sensitive to chemotherapy

Stomach cancer patients now have more than one option.

Remember: The symptoms of stomach cancer are hard to detect and often not specific. Ask your GP about any symptoms you may be having.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine 2006, 355: 11-20 http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/355/1/11