Conditions
Stomach Tumours/Cancers
Cancers and/or tumours (abnormal growths) within the stomach can be malignant (aggressive and dangerous) or benign (usually non aggressive). The words cancer, tumour, growth, lesion, malignancy are often used interchangeably and so if you are discussing one of these situations it’s important to clarify with your doctor, specifically what this means. Cancerous growths of the stomach are uncommon in Australia, but are a very serious diagnosis.
Accompanying symptoms
Small stomach tumours usually cause no symptoms and can sometimes be found incidentally when doing tests for other reasons. As they enlarge patients may experience:
Abdominal Pain
Loss of Appetite
Increased Feeling of Fullness After Small Meals
Nausea
Weight Loss
Vomiting (Sometimes with Blood)
Diagnosing Stomach Cancers:
Assessment for a potential gastric tumour typically requires a:
〇 Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy (Gastroscopy)
〇 Tissue biopsy (usually taken during the Gastroscopy)
Our team at Melbourne Gastro Oesophageal Surgery can perform these tests with a valid referral. Please click on the relevant test for more information.
Treatment Options:
〇 Removal via gastroscopy
〇 Removal via surgery (total or partial gastrectmomy)
〇 Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
〇 Combination of both removal and chemotherapy/radiotherapy
Gastric cancers should be treated promptly. Many of these tumours are best treated with various combinations of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Please call (03) 9416 4418. Surgical consultations will require a valid referral to our surgeons.