Once someone completes treatment for gastric cancer (including surgery +/- radiation and chemotherapy), he or she needs to be closely followed by his or her cancer physicians. This close follow-up is required for a couple of reasons. First, it needs to be insured that the patient recovers from the cancer treatment itself. This includes ensuring that the patient has no vomiting or diarrhea and has healed from surgery. Also, symptoms of "dumping syndrome" need to be addressed with dietary modifications. In addition, because of the removal of the stomach or a portion of the stomach, gastric cancer patients are prone to a certain type of anemia, resulting from not having enough vitamin B-12. This will be monitored for the patient's entire life, as this anemia does not usually occur until years after the surgery.
The other major reason a patient needs to be followed closely is to make sure their cancer does not recur. Recurrence can be detected using physical exam, repeat, periodic endoscopies, and CT scans. At first, patients will have follow-up visits and tests fairly often. The longer the patient is free of disease, the less often he or she will have to go for check-ups.
The other major reason a patient needs to be followed closely is to make sure their cancer does not recur. Recurrence can be detected using physical exam, repeat, periodic endoscopies, and CT scans. At first, patients will have follow-up visits and tests fairly often. The longer the patient is free of disease, the less often he or she will have to go for check-ups.
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