2024-07-04 00:22:23
A man in his 50s diagnosed with stage 3 stomach cancer
Removal of cancerous tissue by gastrojejunostomy
“The key is to quickly eliminate the tumor.
“Prevention of complications and aftercare are also important”
Jeong Gwang-hoon (pseudonym, 53), who had been taking medication for several years due to indigestion, recently became so ill that he could no longer eat. He had difficulty swallowing water, so he went to a local hospital for an endoscopy. However, because the stomach was full of food and carcinoma (a malignant tumor that develops from epithelial tissue), the endoscopy tube could not be lowered, so he was eventually recommended to be treated at a university hospital.
Mr. Jeong, who visited Inha University Hospital, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. His attending physician, Professor Oh Seung-jong (surgery), determined that if the stomach was blocked, the condition had already worsened and the cancer would have spread to the area around the stomach. Professor Oh, who had additional tests such as computed tomography (CT) and abdominal ultrasound to determine Mr. Jeong’s condition in more detail, proceeded with surgical treatment.
In cases where food cannot pass through, radical resection (surgery to widely remove lymph nodes, etc. where there is a possibility of tumor metastasis) is often impossible, so it was decided to perform a ‘gastrojejunostomy’ to create a bypass to allow food to pass through. Professor Oh and the medical team chose a surgery that removes as much of the cancerous area as possible, focusing on reducing the risk of recurrence.
During the surgery, the lymph nodes around the stomach (small bean-shaped tissues distributed throughout the body that are important components of the immune system) were enlarged, so metastasis was suspected, but fortunately, the surgery was performed after confirming that the surrounding major blood vessels or pancreas had not been invaded. The surgery, which took about 3 hours, was successful, and Mr. Jeong is currently recovering while receiving chemotherapy.
According to Professor Oh, gastric cancer cells originate in the stomach and metastasize mainly along the surrounding lymphatic vessels. In Mr. Jeong’s case, about 50 lymph nodes were removed, and metastases were confirmed in about 20 of them, leading to his diagnosis of stage 3 gastric cancer. Stage 3 gastric cancer refers to a state in which the cancer has spread beyond the stomach wall to the surrounding lymph nodes. At this stage, adjuvant chemotherapy must be administered even after surgery.
Gastric cancer is difficult to detect early because it has few symptoms in the early stages and is mostly discovered during health checkups or endoscopy tests for symptoms such as heartburn or indigestion. The main causes are salty foods, processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes, and stress, which weaken the immune system and increase the risk of developing the disease.
As seen in Mr. Jeong’s case, food should be digested and emptied in the stomach over a period of 2 to 3 hours, but if the passage is blocked by cancer, food will remain in the stomach, causing swelling in the stomach tissue and thickening of the stomach wall.
In this case, all food in the stomach is removed during the surgery. The thickened stomach must be anastomosed with a small intestine of normal thickness. However, since space may be created after the edema subsides, careful suturing is required.
Therefore, it is more complex and requires special attention than conventional gastric cancer surgery. Gastric cancer surgery requires a high level of skill and experience. Having it done by a skilled specialist can greatly improve the patient’s prognosis.
The role of a skilled specialist is very important, including precise surgery, prevention of complications, complete cancer removal, and appropriate post-operative care. Professor Oh said, “If stomach cancer is diagnosed, the most effective treatment is to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the cancerous tissue,” and “We select the optimal surgical method for the patient based on the size and location of the cancer.”
Reporter Cha Jun-ho [email protected]
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2024-07-04 00:22:23