Stomach cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases in the world, which is especially common in Asia and Eastern Europe. When detected early, gastric neoplasms can be completely cured with an endoscopic procedure or surgery. Still, German doctors are making huge strides in gastric cancer treatment, even in the advanced stages. When dealing with this cancer, they perform cytoreductive surgery, use local intraperitoneal chemotherapy and the latest types of drug treatment, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, anti-angiogenic therapy and antibody-drug conjugates.

Surgical treatment 

Surgery is the most effective method for stomach cancer treatment. This is the only way to get rid of the disease completely.

Depending on the stage of cancer and the type of tumor, doctors can use different surgical treatment options:

  • Endoscopic submucosal dissection is a minimally invasive operation to remove a portion of the mucous membrane from the inside of the stomach without skin incisions (performed for early-stage cancer only)
  • Gastric resection (proximal or distal gastrectomy) is surgical removal of most of the organ
  • Gastrectomy is a total removal of the stomach, sometimes also with the spleen, omentum, part of the small intestine, or pancreas

 

When performing a partial or total gastrectomy, doctors also remove regional lymph nodes.

Doctors in most clinics perform the operation through a large abdominal incision. Occasionally, surgery can be performed laparoscopically or using a robot-assisted surgical system. Nonetheless, this option is still being studied in research and is available only in specialized centers.

Surgery is rarely used for the treatment for stage 4 stomach cancer. Still, surgical interventions can sometimes be performed. These are cytoreductive interventions to remove the stomach and all tumor foci. In Germany, surgery is followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to destroy any remaining cancer cells in the abdomen. It is washed with a heated solution of chemotherapy drugs for 1.5 hours.

Drug therapy 

Most patients receive chemotherapy. This is carried out after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence, and in the advanced stages of the disease, this type of treatment becomes the main one. It does not completely destroy the tumor, but it does shrink it and prevent it from growing further.

Stomach cancer treatment in Germany can also be carried out with other drug therapy options. These are as follows:

Target therapy. The most commonly used drugs are those that target HER2. If these drugs no longer work, German doctors use antibody-drug conjugates. These are monoclonal antibodies that target the HER2 protein and have chemotherapy drugs bound to them. They deliver cytostatics directly to cancer cells, so they work even more efficiently. To treat stomach cancer, clinics in Germany also use drugs from other pharmacological groups, such as VEGF inhibitors and TRK inhibitors.

Immunotherapy. This is carried out with drugs from the group of PD-1 inhibitors. They prevent the tumor from evading the immune response. These drugs are not suitable for all patients. They are effective against the high tumor mutational load and a high level of microsatellite instability. Additional diagnostics will be required to understand if immunotherapy is a suitable option for you.

If you are going to have your stomach cancer treatment in Germany, you are welcome to visit the Booking Health website to find information about treatment methods and make an appointment at a specialized clinic. Here you can find prices and compare the cost of treatment in different hospitals. The Booking Health specialists will help you choose the most suitable medical center and organize your trip.