Define about the Gastric Cancer?
Surgical treatment is a very common mode of treatment in gastric cancer. Radiation and/or chemotherapy are given for patients with resected but residual localized disease. Removal of most of the residues of the stomach reduces its functions such as secretory, diluting and digestive. This will definitely result in physiological and nutritional problems.
These problems may vary from mild to severe depending on the extent of resection, the individual patient response, the appropriateness of the intervention and the postoperative care. During the post-operative period, when food is ingested some patients show various signs and symptoms known as 'dumping syndrome'. This syndrome develops with varying severity. Usually the signs and symptoms occur within 25 to 30 minutes following ingestion of a meal. The gastrointestinal signs and symptoms include abdominal bloating, cramping and diarrhoea. These symptoms are more pronounced shortly after a meal. Another set of symptoms that usually occurs two hours after eating is also characterized by sweating, tachycardia (heart rate above 100 per minute) and faintness. Mental confusion may also occur. These symptoms are related to the discharge of catecholamine. This catecholamine discharge is mediated by hypoglycemia induced by the insulin response to the rapid entry of the meal into the upper small bowel. Malabsorption of fat occurs. Deficiencies of iron, calcium and fat-soluble vitamins may also occur due to malabsorption. The beneficial effect of somatostatin, especially its analogue - Octreotide has been reported in the treatment of dumping syndrome. Some patients benefit from long-term use but many are unable to tolerate the drug due to diarrhoea.