Stage 4 stomach cancer: symptoms and possible treatment

The final stage is characterized by complete damage to the stomach, metastases to nearby organs and lymph nodes. The tumor can completely grow into the walls of the stomach and affect the tissues of neighboring organs: intestines, abdominal cavity, kidneys, liver and pancreas.

Most often men over 45 years of age are affected. This is due to smoking and alcohol, which over a long period of time has a detrimental effect on the gastric mucosa. But there is also a small percentage of childhood carcinoma in this location.

Causes

So far, scientists have not figured out the exact cause of any oncology. But there are certain statistics of patients who were exposed to certain factors. For now, based on it, oncologists can provide data on risk factors.

Genetics and the presence of oncogene.
Smoking and alcohol have a detrimental effect and destroy the walls of the stomach.
Junk food - canned food, food with dyes, carcinogens and flavoring additives is foreign to the body.
Radiation and ecology - back in the last century, scientists proved that radiation rays cause cancer, and ecology worsens health and suppresses immunity.
Chemical poisoning.
Long courses of medications.
Ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis.

Causes

There is no specific explanation why normal cells in the stomach lining begin to divide abnormally. There are risk factors that increase the chances of developing this pathology:

genetic predisposition;
poor nutrition;
alcohol abuse;
contact with carcinogens;
chronic stomach ulcer;
radioactive exposure;
gastritis with metaplasia.

A history of several factors significantly increases the risk of cancer.

Symptoms

The very first symptoms are usually very vague and more like a regular stomach upset. Later, the symptoms become more pronounced, but the patient begins to suspect an ulcer or gastritis. At the last 4th degree, the symptoms become more painful and vivid.

Weight loss - the stomach does not digest food well and the overall digestion process worsens.
Quick satiety with food - due to the large tumor that fills part of the stomach, satiety occurs faster.
Loss of appetite.
Headaches, nausea, vomiting with blood - stage 4 stomach cancer releases waste products and poisons the body, causing general intoxication.
Belching with an unpleasant odor, severe heartburn.
The chair is dark in color.
Diarrhea followed by constipation.
Abdominal pain that cannot be relieved even with strong painkillers.
Weakness, severe fatigue, drowsiness.
Weakness in the bones.
Anemia due to internal bleeding.
Decline of immunity.
Heat.

Stage 4 stomach cancer - symptoms, signs before death:

Severe pain in bones, muscles and throughout the body. It can only be relieved with narcotic painkillers.
Black vomit with blood.
Yellow skin and eyes.
Cold hands and feet.
Decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.
The patient cannot walk.
Cough with blood, with metastases in the lungs.
The patient sleeps constantly.
Doesn't want to talk or see family and friends.
If there is internal bleeding, you may fall into a coma.
Incomprehensible nonsense.

Instrumental diagnostics:

endoscopic examination - FGDS (allows you to assess the location of the tumor, the degree of stenosis (narrowing) of the stomach, take material for histological examination - biopsy);
radiography;
magnetic resonance imaging, which records the spread of the tumor to neighboring organs, the localization (location) of distant metastases;
diagnostic laparoscopy - an operation that reveals the dissemination of cancerous foci throughout the peritoneum;
histological examination of the structure of a biopsy (tissue taken from an area affected by cancer) for the presence of atypical malignant cells.

Diagnostic methods

Usually, based on the symptoms, it is already possible to understand that the patient has a tumor, but for a more accurate study, a set of examinations is done:

Blood, urine and stool tests - biochemistry and general blood test.
Gastroscopy - using a gastroscope, the stomach is examined for the presence of a tumor and a piece of tissue is taken for a biopsy.

Biopsy - histological analysis is performed.
Ultrasound - the abdominal cavity is examined for metastasis.
Fluorography - whether there are metastases in the lungs.
MRI, CT - a more detailed analysis of the tumor: its size, shape, degree of invasion into nearby tissues and organs.

Diagnostics

The diagnostic process if a person has a terminal stage of the disease is simple, since the patient has many characteristic symptoms. Repeated diagnostics are necessary to monitor the progress of the disease and adjust treatment based on changes. We are talking about the number of metastases, the localization of secondary foci of formation, the damage and functioning of the lymph.

An initial examination and physical therapy are carried out - palpation of the pain site. With cancer, lumps are felt in the stomach area.
Urine, feces, blood and histological material collected during endoscopy are regularly taken.
X-ray diagnostics showing the nature and volume of the tumor.
Endoscopy, with sampling of material from different areas of the stomach.
Ultrasound is performed indirectly, through the peritoneum or with a probe.
Laparoscopic surgery showing the nature and severity of the disease.
MRI and CT are performed to visualize the tumor and assess the involvement of vital organs; the diagnostic stage is especially important if a subsequent operation is planned.

Usually, during diagnosis, signs of the last stage of the disease are revealed - malignant atypia can invade any neighboring organ or cell, making it a source of oncology, forcing it to capture new boundaries. Tumors are localized in the lymph nodes near the intestines.

Treatment

At stage 4, the disease has a huge number of negative factors and the risk of severe internal bleeding, from which the patient can die. Concomitant diseases can be a problem: ulcers, gastritis, cirrhosis of the liver.

Drug therapy

The main treatment is chemotherapy. 5-fluorouracil, a cytostatic agent, is injected into the nearest tissues of the tumor itself or the vessels that feed it. The reagents themselves may be different. They are selected exclusively from cytological examination of neoplasm tissue.

The task is to select exactly the reagent to which stage 4 gastric cancer is most sensitive. In combination, immunostimulants are used that increase the number of leukocytes in the blood so that they also begin to fight cancer. The patient uses a number of anti-inflammatory medications to bring down the high fever.

Antibiotics, antihistamines, and painkillers are prescribed. Due to the disrupted digestion process, many beneficial substances and glucose are administered intravenously. Among the folk remedies used are tinctures of chaga, hemlock, celandine, chamomile, mint, string and rosehip.

The goal of drug treatment is to remove a number of symptoms, pain, and also normalize the function of the stomach and help the body fight the disease.

Surgery

Surgery and removal of part of the tumor is extremely rarely prescribed at this stage, since the carcinoma is enormous in size, affects most of the stomach and grows into nearby organs. Sometimes it is simply impossible to remove it.

Typically used for:

The tumor can compress the bile ducts, then surgery is performed to install drains.
If there is heavy bleeding, then simply stitch up the wound.
If metastases penetrate the intestine and a secondary neoplasm clogs the intestinal passage, then part of the intestine is removed and the healthy ends are sewn together.
If there is a huge tumor in the stomach, a tube for artificial feeding may be installed.
Remove a dangerous tumor if it interferes with digestion and the functioning of the stomach. Unfortunately, at this stage you cannot get rid of cancer this way, but there is a chance to continue living.
In case of metastases to other organs, surgeons can begin to remove secondary lesions.

Radiotherapy

First of all, the radiation beam affects the first focus and the main tumor in the stomach. The goal is to reduce its size and pressure on neighboring organs and walls. Some cells die, and some stop dividing. The side effects of radiotherapy are lower, but the effectiveness is not as strong as with chemotherapy.

Treatment of stage 4 stomach cancer

During this period of disease development, all treatment procedures are aimed at improving the patient’s general health and reducing the likelihood of death. It is noteworthy that the last stage of stomach cancer cannot be completely cured.

The fourth cancer and its treatment methods:

carrying out surgery. Doctors usually resort to surgery as a last resort. Palliative surgeries are usually performed, which are aimed at alleviating the patient's health condition. However, this method cannot stop the malignant process. With the help of surgery, normal intestinal patency can be restored to the patient. In some cases, some damaged area of the stomach may be removed. This also improves the patient's health, but does not completely remove the cancerous tumor;
implementation of laser therapy. It is characterized by the impact of special rays on a cancerous tumor. This helps restore normal gastric patency. Patency can also be restored by introducing a special tube into the patient’s body.

It is noteworthy that surgery and laser therapy can be prescribed by a specialist if the cancer process has not affected the peritoneal area and depletion of the body has not occurred. If this happens, then the operation is not prescribed. In this case, due to health reasons, the patient will not be able to tolerate it.

Carrying out chemotherapy. It is aimed at introducing special drugs that have a negative effect on cancer cells. This method helps reduce the size of the cancer tumor. It is usually used in preparation for or after surgery. 5-fluorouracil and cytostatics are used as special drugs. It is noteworthy that the use of foreign medicines is not capable of causing side effects. This is their main difference from domestic drugs.

In order to achieve the best effect, chemotherapy is usually carried out in combination with radiation therapy. If the patient’s body is excessively exhausted, this method is not used. This is due to the fact that its use can lead to a sharp decrease in the activity of the immune system.

implementation of palliative therapy. It aims to improve the patient's quality of life and general health. With it, the patient receives all the necessary medications that help reduce inflammation and the impact of negative symptoms. Typically, this therapy is carried out in combination with hormonal and immunomodulatory drugs.

To achieve a better effect, many patients combine drug therapy with the use of traditional medicine.

Nutrition

If the patient can still eat on his own, then it is necessary to balance the diet in order to improve metabolism, tissue regenerative abilities, increase immunity, and return hemoglobin, leukocytes and platelets in the blood to normal.

You can eat

Peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli.
Japanese and Chinese mushrooms, chanterelles.
Lean meat, fish, chicken.
Cottage cheese, yogurt.
Puree soups, juices.
Fruits, apples, peaches, mangoes.
Berries, raspberries, currants, cherries, blueberries.

Nutrition rules

Eat several times a day in small portions 5-6 times.
There is only warm food. It is forbidden to eat very cold or very hot food.
We boil all the food. Frying is prohibited.
All food should be liquid and ground in a blender until liquid.
Drink plenty of fluids: tea, chamomile infusions, chaga, juices, etc.

Prohibited to use

Alcohol.
Stop smoking.
Fatty and fried foods.
Canned food, pickling, marinades.
Packaged juice.
Sweets, flour, cakes, buns, white bread.
Highly salted food.

NOTE! If the patient cannot feed himself, then a gastrostomy tube is installed and the patient eats special mixtures. You can either buy them or make them yourself from the necessary products.

Signs, symptoms and manifestations of pathology

Stomach cancer significantly aggravates all the symptoms previously observed in a patient with gastrointestinal disorders:

Disorders of the digestive system are permanent - the patient constantly experiences heartburn and belching. Intestinal obstruction provokes either constipation or, conversely, diarrhea. The patient often experiences nausea and vomiting, especially after eating.
Even after a small portion of food, the patient experiences a feeling of excessive saturation of the stomach.
The pathology provokes not only enlargement, but also sufficient pain in the lymph nodes (the entire lymphatic system of the body is affected).
Metastases progress to neighboring organs and tissues - to the liver, lungs, ovaries (in women) and even to the brain.

In addition, stomach cancer always has pronounced symptoms:

Pain – in patients with this pathology it is always present, and its amount depends on the position and degree of development of the tumor;
Nausea and vomiting are also constant companions of the process, which appear already at stage 2 of the development of stomach cancer (at stage 4, vomiting is always mixed with blood - this is a sign of tissue decomposition);
Loss of appetite - the patient completely refuses to eat, limiting himself only to drinking liquids;
Stool disorders - since the pathological process involves intestinal tissues, they metastasize, which impairs its functionality.

Intoxication of the body caused by the disease is expressed in constant weakness, dizziness, headaches, psychological disorders - hormonal imbalances and acute lack of nutrients also always accompany the pathology.

Important: in some cases, the symptoms of the disease at stage 4 of stomach cancer are completely absent - this is explained by the complete disruption of the patient’s immune system, which occurs against the background of tumor development.

Forecast and life expectancy at stage 4

The life expectancy of patients at the final stage depends on many factors:

Differentiation of cancer.
Number of affected organs.
Patient's age.
Presence of concomitant diseases.
The patient’s healthy lifestyle and the presence of bad habits.
Positive attitude towards recovery.

On average, the five-year survival rate for this pathology at the fourth stage is 33%. If the body is young, then the percentage can reach up to 40. The most important thing is not to give up and try to overcome the disease by all available means and methods.

The most important thing is the support of loved ones and relatives. So that they are always nearby, encouraging the patient. Under no circumstances should you cry in front of the patient, as this will greatly affect your morale. You just need to set your loved one up to win.

How long do patients live with stage 4 gastric cancer with metastases?

Very often, patients who have been diagnosed with cancer turn to specialists with the question: “How long can you live with stomach cancer?” Doctors note that life expectancy for this disease is about 1-5 years. It is noteworthy that the disease appears in people over 50 years of age.

Doctors also note that life expectancy for stomach cancer also depends on the following factors:

age and general health of the patient;
on the type of disease being spread;
from the presence of metastases in neighboring organs;
from the general psychological state of the sick patient.

Thus, stomach cancer is a very dangerous disease, from which almost no person is immune. But to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence, doctors recommend that all people undergo a comprehensive examination of the body, eat only the right foods and completely give up bad habits.

This will help the patient, if unpleasant symptoms appear, to contact a specialist in time and begin competent treatment. Also, following these simple rules will help reduce the likelihood of this unpleasant disease and live a long and happy life.

ethnoscience

NOTE! All of the following recipes, tinctures and infusions must be taken only with the permission of an oncologist.

Chaga

Pour one liter of water into the pan.
After boiling, add 250 grams of dry crushed chaga.
Cover with a lid and wait 7-10 minutes for the tea to brew.
One glass with the addition of 1 spoon of honey, 3 times a day before meals.

Celandine

Grind fresh leaves, roots and stems of celandine.
We fill the three-liter bottle. jar 1/3 plant.
Fill with vodka.
We put it in a dark place for 21 days.
Note: add 1 tbsp to a glass of water. tincture and rosehip syrup.
30 minutes before meals 3 times a day.

Nutrition during and after treatment

Proper nutrition plays an important role during treatment. During chemotherapy, the body needs vitamins, macro- and microelements, and proteins. However, patients often experience adverse reactions to medications after the procedure, which is why they lack appetite.

The chemotherapy diet excludes the following foods:

sparkling water;
herbs and spices;
marinades;
canned food;
sausage and frankfurters;
coffee;
alcohol;
chocolate;
smoked products;
fruit and vegetable juices;
confectionery.

Fried, salty and fatty foods are not allowed. There should not be too cold or very hot food in the diet.

The following dishes are considered healthy food:

soups (dairy and vegetable);
lean boiled or baked meat (turkey, chicken, rabbit);
lean fish (for example, pike or pike perch);
dairy products;
fruits and vegetables.

An important aspect of the diet is drinking fluids before and after meals.

It is recommended to eat fractional meals - little by little, in small portions, but from 6 to 8 times a day.

Unconventional methods

The tumor develops quickly and grows in an acidic environment. With stage 4 cancer, especially with heartburn, the acidic environment is constant. Our task is to reduce the acid and make the environment alkaline; in such an environment, tumors and cancer cannot develop. To do this, we will use ASD fraction 2, which can be purchased at any veterinary pharmacy. It should reduce the alkaline environment and reduce the rate of tumor growth.

NOTE! Can only be used with the permission of the attending oncologist, since some drugs are contraindicated with this medicine.

Pour 100 ml of clean water.
Apply 5 drops and drink 40 minutes before meals.
The next day we drink one drop more. We increase the dose daily until we reach 30.
On the 25th day we take a break for 3 days and continue, also with 30 drops.

( 2 ratings, average: 5.00 out of 5)

How long do people live with this disease?

As noted above, the duration and quality of life of the patient directly depends on the stage at which the disease was detected. In the presence of stomach cancer, life expectancy for men is reduced by 12 years, and for women by 15 years.

If the disease is detected at stage 1, the survival rate in the first 5 years is about 80%. At stages 2 and 3, this level drops to 15-40%. The most severe stage is 4, leaving a chance of survival in only 5% of cases. At the last stage, metastases already occur. How long a person with a tumor will live is determined individually.

At the moment, methods are being actively developed that make it possible to detect oncology at the stage of conception. For these purposes, special tumor markers are used, which make it possible to determine the patient’s condition based on the composition of the blood. Additionally, gastroscopy may be prescribed.

Forecast

The problem of low life expectancy is based on the fact that the diagnosis of pathology is carried out too late. For comparison:

In Russia, out of 100 people diagnosed with stomach cancer at various stages, only 20 will overcome the five-year survival threshold.
In Japan, the number of recovered people will be 80.

Doctors say that the surest way to improve the survival prognosis for a disease such as stomach cancer is to undergo a medical examination regularly, at least once a year. This is the only way to detect a stomach tumor at the earliest stage, when treatment will be quick and effective. Particular attention should be paid to preventive examination for people who are susceptible to cancer with a higher degree of probability, for example, smokers.

Stomach oncology

occurs in the tissues of the mucous membrane of this digestive organ.
Glandular epithelial cells of the gastric wall begin to divide uncontrollably, forming a malignant tumor. The average age at which this disease is most commonly seen in patients is around 65 years. But the range of statistical observations ranges from 40 to 70 years, so being informed about this cancer is very important to know what to do if you are diagnosed with stomach cancer
.

A feature of the course of oncology in this organ is rapid metastasis, that is, cancer cells through the walls can affect adjacent organs. Once this happens, the cancer is much more difficult to fight, which is why it is very important to diagnose it at the earliest possible stage. The main form of gastric cancer is adenocarcinoma, and only in five percent of cases are other variants found.

Causes

Despite all the successes of modern medicine, the reliable causes of stomach cancer are still unknown. However, most researchers agree that the bacterium Helicobacter Pylori plays a significant role in the sudden onset of this disease. This is the same bacterium that relatively recently began to be considered the root cause of peptic ulcers. Now traces of its destructive activity can be traced in the formation of tumors.

However, there are other factors that cause stomach cancer:

Abuse of tobacco and alcohol - these bad habits not only cause toxic formations, but also directly damage the mucous membrane (with ethyl alcohol);
Toxic substances - these include cosmetics, the excessive use of which can provoke cell changes, as well as nitrates and nitrites. The latter can often be found in products such as vegetables from fields where strong fertilizers are used, smoked products, and dried fish.
Medicines can become not only a means of relief, but also a cause of damage to the mucous membrane. Therefore, you should not abuse strong drugs that affect the organ lining. Both an ulcer and a cancerous growth may occur.
Irradiation - radioactive rays are used in therapy against cancer, but can also cause cell mutation and tumor formation;
Chronic diseases of the digestive tract and gastric region;
Previous operations in this area of the body;
Heredity - the occurrence of similar diseases in relatives of different generations is not news today, therefore control and constant examination in people from this group should be mandatory.

At the same time, doctors note a number of conditions in which the occurrence of tumor processes is significantly increased. Those that cause stomach cancer include peptic ulcers, adenomas and atrophic gastritis. However, the presence of these risk factors does not mean that the disease will necessarily manifest itself sooner or later. Even if a number of carcinogenic factors coincide, a person can easily live to a ripe old age, just as he can get sick, even if such factors are absent in his life in principle. According to statistics, the risk of getting sick is higher in men, since gastric tumors are one and a half or more times more common in them than in women. Older people are also statistically more likely to get sick. Those who are included in the groups described need to know how stomach cancer manifests itself. Symptoms A huge problem is the absence of visible signs of the disease to a person at the time of its occurrence. Symptoms of stomach cancer are felt only when the disease reaches the second or even third stage. Medicine identifies the first signs of stomach cancer:

Pain syndrome in the supragastric region;
Constant heartburn and bloating;
Nausea and vomiting - when a malignant neoplasm clogs the pyloric region and the passage of food decreases;
Appetite decreases, the body is not satisfied, and the person loses weight;
Difficulty swallowing - when the tumor grows into the upper part of the organ;
With further development of the disease, early saturation syndrome may occur, when all layers of the walls are affected, and its ability to stretch weakens.

Should you sound the alarm if you or your loved ones develop symptoms? In fact, the symptoms are similar to the descriptions of dozens of other gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, if the first signs are observed, it is necessary, without delay, to visit a doctor in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

How is the diagnosis carried out?

The fourth stage of cancer is easily diagnosed due to obvious symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis, the patient undergoes the following measures:

The physical method involves palpation. The doctor discovers lumps in the area of the anterior abdominal wall.
X-ray diagnostics. X-ray allows you to determine cancer by the presence of a shadow in most patients (85%).
Endoscopy. The most accurate way. A biopsy of several sections of the stomach wall is performed.
Ultrasound. One of the additional methods. It is carried out through the abdominal wall or through a probe.
Laparoscopy. Additional method. Gives an idea of the possibility of surgery and the presence of metastases.

The last stage is established if the doctor identifies the following signs:

Cancer cells attack nearby organs.
The tumor spreads to nearby lymph nodes.
Cancer affects organs distant from the stomach.