What are the chances of stomach cancer returning after full recovery?

Doctor's Answers 1

Photo of Dr Yuk Man Kan
Dr Yuk Man Kan

General Surgeon

It goes back to staging. When we say staging, when we do the operation -- has the cancer spread further? Although we see it, it depends whether it has gone microscopic -- little cells that moved away beyond where we excise.

One of the things that we really know is that after we take the stomach away, we send it to a laboratory to have it looked at. They chop it into little pieces and look at it in detail, see if there are any cancer cells elsewhere. That will give an indication of how likely it is to come back.

Another thing is what type of cancer it is. The tests will tell us which type of cancer it is, how aggressive the cancer is. There are certain indicators in there that will tell us it is aggressive or not so aggressive. And that allows me to say to the patient, this is the percentage of the likelihood that the cancer may come back. That’s how it is, lots of factors come into play.

Similar Questions

In what cases is surgery recommended for stomach cancer patients?

As per all cancers, the earlier the stage of the cancer, the higher the chance of cure. In stomach cancer, it is no different. If stomach cancer is in the early stages where there is no spread of cancer to the surrounding tissues or to distant sites, surgery offers the best chance of cure. An exception is when the cancer is detected in the very early stages where the cancer involvement is very shallow. In such very early stages, a curative option will include an endoscopic resection of the cancer.

Photo of Dr Stephen Chang

Answered By

Dr Stephen Chang

General Surgeon

Are there conditions or diagnoses that can be confused with stomach cancer because of similar symptoms?

Yes. As I mentioned, some of the symptoms can be very subtle. You may not be having symptoms. Some people have ulcers, some have gallstones, and they experience bloating. Occasionally people have food poisoning. It’s really figuring out what is what. Unfortunately, at times like this, it’s very difficult to decide. We, as a professional, would say “okay, what are the chances of this being a stomach cancer, what’s the chance of it being something completely different? ” So it’s really taking the context into consideration.

Photo of Dr Yuk Man Kan

Answered By

Dr Yuk Man Kan

General Surgeon

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox