Condition · 4 treatment paths
Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer is a malignant tumour that begins in the lining of the stomach, most often an adenocarcinoma. It is linked to Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking, a diet high in salted foods and some inherited conditions.
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- Treatment paths
- 4Treatment paths
- Specialties
- 2Specialties
- Typical severity
- SevereTypical severity
About gastric cancer
What to know
Early disease can cause only indigestion, early fullness or reduced appetite. Later signs include weight loss, anaemia, vomiting, black stools or difficulty swallowing. Diagnosis is by upper endoscopy with biopsy, followed by CT, endoscopic ultrasound and sometimes laparoscopy to stage the disease. Outcomes depend strongly on stage, with early cancers far more curable than advanced ones.
Treatment depends on stage and location. Early cancers may be removed endoscopically. Localised disease is treated with surgery, a subtotal or total gastrectomy with lymph node removal, often robotic or laparoscopic, usually combined with chemotherapy before and after the operation. Advanced disease is treated with chemotherapy, targeted drugs and immunotherapy. Patients may travel abroad for surgery at high-volume cancer centres.
Pre-flight workup
Tests to have already done
- Endoscopy report and biopsy pathology confirming adenocarcinoma, with the histological type and HER2 and MSI results where tested.
- CT scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis, plus endoscopic ultrasound or PET-CT reports used for staging.
- Staging laparoscopy findings if done, since it can detect small peritoneal deposits missed on CT.
- Blood results including haemoglobin, albumin, liver and kidney function, and tumour markers if measured.
- Records of nutritional status, weight loss, and any chemotherapy or surgery already given, with dates.
Second opinion
When to get a second look
- The staging is unclear or the scans disagree about whether the tumour can be removed.
- You are offered surgery first, or chemotherapy first, and want to understand which is right for your stage.
- A total gastrectomy is advised and you want to know whether a partial removal is possible.
- Your pathology has not been tested for HER2, MSI or PD-L1 and treatment is being decided.
Talking to your doctor
Questions to ask
- What is the exact stage of my cancer, and is it curable?
- Do I need chemotherapy before surgery, and which regimen?
- Will I need part or all of my stomach removed, and what lymph nodes will be taken?
- Have HER2, MSI and PD-L1 been tested, and could immunotherapy or targeted drugs apply?
- How will eating and nutrition be managed after surgery?
- What follow-up and scans will I need?
Outlook
Realistic prognosis
Outlook depends mainly on stage at diagnosis. Early cancers confined to the stomach wall have a good chance of cure with surgery, while advanced or spread disease is treated to control it and extend life. Perioperative chemotherapy improves survival for operable cancers. Tumour type, lymph node involvement, fitness for major surgery and biomarker results such as HER2 influence outcomes. Eating smaller meals and nutritional support are needed after gastrectomy.
01 · Specialties
Specialties that treat Gastric
Diagnostic workup
Before you pick a hospital, get the workup right
Picking the right treatment is downstream of a complete diagnosis. Skip steps here and the destination surgeon usually re-orders them anyway — at higher cost and another week on the ground.
- Confirm the diagnosis on imaging or labs
For gastric cancer, plan on the workup your home doctor would order anyway — typically a recent specialist consult plus the imaging / labs the destination team will need to quote accurately. Anything older than 90 days usually gets re-done.
- See a oncology specialist locally first
An in-person clinical exam at home — even a single consult — costs little and dramatically improves the destination plan. Bring back: written impression, recommended procedure, surgical-risk class, and any contra-indications.
- Send us the file for a free second opinion
Two surgeons in our medical panel review the workup independently. They tell you whether they'd operate, watch, or refer — even if that means recommending against travel.
- Pick a path with timeline + cost in writing
Once a treatment is the right call, we line up 2–3 hospital options with itemized quotes, surgeon profiles, and a travel timeline. You hold the file — switch hospitals or step away at any point.
03 · Treatment paths
Treatment options
- Oncology Subtotal Gastrectomy 7d stay 6wk recovery 90% success Compare hospitals
- Oncology Total Gastrectomy 8d stay 8wk recovery 86% success Compare hospitals
- GI Surgery Gastric Cancer Robotic Resection 7d stay 13wk recovery 90% success Compare hospitals
- Oncology Chemotherapy (per cycle) 1d stay 2wk recovery Compare hospitals
Where to be treated
Gastric Cancer treatment by destination
04 · FAQ
Common questions about gastric cancer
Can stomach cancer be cured?
Early cancers confined to the stomach wall can often be cured by surgery. More advanced cancers are treated with chemotherapy plus surgery, and cure becomes less likely as spread increases.
Will I be able to eat after my stomach is removed?
Yes, but in smaller, more frequent meals. Dietitian support is needed, and some people require vitamin B12 injections and iron supplements long term.
Is chemotherapy given before or after surgery?
For many operable cancers, chemotherapy is given both before and after surgery. The sequence depends on stage and fitness.
Clinical context
Working up gastric cancer properly
A condition like gastric cancer is rarely well-served by jumping straight to treatment shopping. The sequence below is what a oncology specialist would expect to see completed — and the absence of any step is the right cue to delay travel decisions.
Diagnostic workup, in sequence
- First-line clinical assessment
History, physical exam, and risk-factor review by a senior generalist or oncology specialist. Symptoms list, family history, prior workup notes, and current medication list should travel with the patient.
- Standard imaging + labs
Baseline blood work, condition-specific imaging (ultrasound / X-ray / MRI / CT — depending on indication), and ECG / pulmonary function as relevant. Bring digital copies of any prior imaging — saves repeat scans and the cost that goes with them.
- Specialist diagnostic workup
Procedure-specific tests — biopsy, cardiac catheterisation, endoscopy, or genetic / molecular profiling depending on the suspected diagnosis. Done at the centre that will treat, ideally, so results integrate cleanly into the treatment plan.
- Multidisciplinary review (where indicated)
Cancer, complex cardiac, transplant, and rare-disease cases should be reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel — surgical, medical, imaging, and pathology — before any treatment commits. Single-discipline plans for complex disease are a quality red flag.
When to escalate urgently
- Acute worsening of established symptoms — sudden chest pain, shortness of breath at rest, neurological deficit, severe bleeding, persistent high fever.
- Loss of consciousness, severe persistent vomiting, or any focal neurological event.
- Symptoms in the early hours of onset that fit a time-sensitive treatment window (stroke, MI, sepsis) — every hour costs outcome.
- If you are travelling internationally for treatment and develop these symptoms in transit, divert to the nearest emergency department; do not wait to reach the planned destination.
Before you book international travel
- Confirm your specific diagnosis is fully worked up before you commit to a treatment plan abroad. Travelling for the workup is fine; travelling for treatment without the workup done is not.
- Get your case reviewed remotely by the destination centre's team before you book flights — credible international patient programs review imaging + reports before they confirm the surgical plan.
- Bring a digital + physical copy of your full medical record: imaging on USB drive in DICOM format, labs in PDF, current medication list with dosages, allergies, and any prior surgical reports.
- Plan for longer recovery + post-discharge therapy continuation before you fly — the surgery itself is rarely the bottleneck.
- Confirm that follow-up imaging and any necessary in-person reviews can be done at home — a treatment plan that requires repeat international trips is more burdensome (and more expensive) than the headline procedure.
Methodology and editorial standards
This gastric cancer overview is written by the editorial team from published Oncology sources and lists 4 treatment options offered by hospitals on our network. The page shows its last-updated date. Clinical descriptions are editorial — your treating clinician confirms what's right for your specific case.
- Hospital data. Hospital details are compiled from public sources and hospital websites. Accreditation (JCI, NABH and others) is shown where we hold a record of it. Always ask the hospital for its current certificate.
- Doctor credentials. Qualifications, specialty and bio come from the doctor's hospital profile. Licence is checked against the national medical-council register only where the profile shows a "Licence verified" badge with a date.
- Prices. Price ranges are indicative, compiled from hospital price lists and packages and shown with the date last updated. The hospital's written quote is what you pay against.
- Clinical text. Written by the Medcasts editorial team from published clinical sources. Unless a named reviewer is shown on the page, it has not been reviewed by a doctor.
- Independence. Hospitals cannot pay to change their position on our pages.
Gastric Cancer
Continue evaluating gastric cancer care
Condition overview is one entry. These hubs route the same care decision via specialty, surgeon, treatment, and destination — including the doctors actively treating gastric cancer.
- Surgeons Doctors treating Gastric Cancer Volume-ranked specialists across all relevant specialties.
- Specialty Oncology hub Programs, surgeons, hospitals across oncology.
- Specialty GI Surgery Alternative specialty involved in care for this condition.
- Procedure Subtotal Gastrectomy First-line treatment with success rates, recovery, hospital pricing.
- Procedure Total Gastrectomy Alternative treatment path with cost and recovery data.
- Browse All 79 conditions Map condition → specialty → first-line treatment.
- Browse 9 destination countries Cost-of-care profiles, hospital programs, visa playbooks.
- Compare Hospital comparison Side-by-side accreditations, ratings, beds, and pricing.
- Compare Doctor comparison Surgeons compared on volume, fees, languages, video-consult availability.
- Tool Match-me triage Three questions, get a specialty + destination + 3-hospital shortlist.
- Tool Cost calculator Hospital-reported pricing across procedures × destinations.
- Action Free second opinion Independent panel review of your case in 48 hours — no charge.
Next step · Gastric Cancer
Free second opinion on your Gastric case.
Share imaging and the current plan. Multidisciplinary board returns a written opinion within 5–10 working days — no obligation to travel.