Gastric Cancer Specialist
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Center for Advanced Surgery
Gastro-Esophageal and Endoscopic Surgeons located in Dallas, Plano, & Tyler, TX
Around 28,000 Americans are diagnosed with gastric cancer every year. While rare, stomach cancer can spread when untreated. Board-certified gastroesophageal surgeons Marc Ward, MD, and Steven Leeds, MD, at the Center for Advanced Surgery in Dallas, Plano, and Tyler, Texas, offer laparoscopic partial and total gastrectomies to remove gastric cancer tumors and protect your health. If you need an expert gastric surgeon, call the Center for Advanced Surgery or schedule a consultation online today.
Gastric Cancer Q&A
What is gastric cancer?
Sometimes referred to as stomach cancer, gastric cancers begin in the different types of cells that comprise your stomach.
Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of stomach cancer. Other varieties include primary gastric lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), and neuroendocrine tumors.
Stomach cancer doesn't often have an identifiable cause. Many patients don't have a family history of gastric cancer, although medical researchers believe there’s a genetic factor.
Your risk of developing gastric cancer increases if you smoke, have undergone previous stomach surgeries, or have had H. pylori infections.
What are the warning signs of gastric cancer?
Gastric cancer can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including:
- Persistent and severe heartburn and indigestion
- Feeling bloated after eating
- Feeling full after eating just a small amount of food
- Stomach pain
- Persistent nausea and vomiting
- Unintentional weight loss
In many cases, stomach cancer doesn't cause symptoms. Gastric cancer grows slowly, usually developing over a year before progressing to advanced stages or metastasizing.
How do you treat gastric cancer?
The surgeons at the Center for Advanced Surgery offer state-of-the-art, minimally invasive laparoscopic gastrectomies. They can remove part or all of your stomach as needed to remove all cancerous tissue.
The surgeons provide anesthesia, so you sleep comfortably during your surgery. They make just a few small incisions in your abdomen to access your stomach.
Your surgeon inserts a laparoscope into your abdomen to examine your stomach. A laparoscope is a thin surgical instrument with a light and camera on its tip that sends videos from inside your body to a screen in the operating room.
The laparoscope allows your surgeon to see inside your body without having to make a large incision. Then, using special surgical tools, your surgeon removes your tumor and any affected parts of your stomach.
What should I expect after stomach cancer surgery?
Most patients spend 3-4 days recovering in the hospital after gastric cancer surgery. Laparoscopic surgeries provide a more rapid recovery and reduce your risk of post-surgical complications.
Your doctor provides aftercare instructions and advice on how you need to change your diet and how you should eat after your stomach is removed.
You might need to stick to a liquid diet for several days. Eventually, you can introduce solid food, but you need to eat more frequent, smaller meals to avoid overloading your reduced stomach space.
You should be able to return to work after approximately two weeks, but avoid vigorous physical activity for a few weeks after your surgery. Your surgeon lets you know when it’s safe to resume your regular activities at your follow-up appointment.
If you have gastric cancer and are looking for an expert surgeon, call the Center for Advanced Surgery or make an appointment online today.
"We see patients for Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Achalasia, and Hiatal Hernia. Call us to book your appointment today."