The stomach is a digestive organ. Because most patients with gastric cancer have digestive function affected by gastric lesions, or have a residual stomach (the remaining stomach after a major gastrectomy is performed is called a remnant stomach) or gastric defect due to treatment, plus a decrease in eating after surgery. This results in insufficient absorption of hematopoietic raw materials such as vitamin B12, folic acid and iron, which are originally absorbed mainly in the stomach, and that is why many gastric cancer patients become anemic. Therefore, patients with gastric cancer should pay extra attention to the supplementation of vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron in their food.
Vitamin B12 is mainly found in foods such as eggs, dairy products, seafood, and beef liver; folic acid is most abundant in animal liver, leafy greens, citrus fruits, nuts, and egg yolk; and iron is mainly found in red meat, animal liver, and soy products. Therefore, stomach cancer patients should appropriately consume more animal liver, green leafy vegetables, eggs and other foods, and increase the proportion of the above-mentioned foods under the normal intake of all kinds of foods. If anemia still exists after food supplementation, timely consultation at the hospital is required, and the doctor will prescribe oral medication supplements to supplement according to the patient’s condition.