Selecting treatment plan for gastric cancer according to stage

by Specialist

To learn about the treatments in the list below, see the Treatment Options Overview section.

Stage 0 (carcinoma in situ)

Treatment for stage 0 gastric cancer may include the following modalities:

  • Surgery (total gastrectomy or major gastrectomy).
  • Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).

    Using our Clinical Trials Search, you can find out which of the NCI-supported cancer clinical trials are currently enrolling patients. You can search for clinical trials by cancer type, patient age, and trial location. You can also get basic information about clinical trials.

    Stage I gastric cancer

    Treatment for stage I gastric cancer may include the following modalities:

  • Surgery (total gastrectomy or major gastrectomy).
  • Endoscopic mucosal resection may be used in some patients with stage IA gastric cancer.
  • Radiotherapy before surgery (total gastrectomy or major gastrectomy).
  • A clinical trial of radiotherapy given before surgery.

    Using our Clinical Trials Search, you can find out which of the NCI-supported cancer clinical trials are currently enrolling patients. You can search for clinical trials by cancer type, patient age, and trial location. You can also get basic information about clinical trials.

    Stage II and III gastric cancer

    Treatment for stage II and III gastric cancer may include the following modalities:

  • Surgery (total gastrectomy or major gastrectomy).
  • Preoperative chemotherapy
  • Radiotherapy before surgery (total gastrectomy or major gastrectomy).
  • A clinical trial of radiotherapy given before surgery.
  • A clinical trial of chemotherapy given before surgery.

    Using our Clinical Trials Search, you can find out which of the NCI-supported cancer clinical trials are currently enrolling patients. You can search for clinical trials by cancer type, patient age, and trial location. You can also get basic information about clinical trials.

    Stage IV gastric cancer, inoperable gastric cancer, and recurrent gastric cancer

    Treatment for stage IV gastric cancer, inoperable gastric cancer, and recurrent gastric cancer may include the following modalities:

  • Chemotherapy as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life
  • Monoclonal antibody-targeted therapy, with or without combination chemotherapy.
  • Immunotherapy.
  • Intraluminal laser therapy and endoluminal stenting can relieve gastric obstruction, as can gastrojejunostomy bypass surgery.
  • Radiation therapy is used as a palliative treatment to stop bleeding, relieve pain, or shrink the tumor causing gastric obstruction.
  • Surgery is used as a palliative treatment to stop the bleeding or shrink the tumor that is causing the gastric obstruction.
  • A clinical trial of a new combination of chemotherapy as a palliative treatment that relieves clinical symptoms and improves quality of life.
  • A clinical trial of a multikinase inhibitor-targeted therapy.
  • A clinical trial of surgery and hot intraperitoneal infusion chemotherapy (HIPEC).

    Using our Clinical Trials Search, you can find out which of the NCI-supported cancer clinical trials are currently enrolling patients. You can search for clinical trials by cancer type, patient age, and trial location. You can also get basic information about clinical trials.