Treatment Options by Stage

Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
Stage I Gastric Cancer
Stage II Gastric Cancer
Stage III Gastric Cancer
Stage IV and Recurrent Gastric Cancer

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of stage 0 is usually surgery (total or subtotal gastrectomy).

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage 0 gastric cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stage I gastric cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (total or subtotal gastrectomy).
• Surgery (total or subtotal gastrectomy) followed by chemoradiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemoradiation therapy given before surgery.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I gastric cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stage II gastric cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (total or subtotal gastrectomy).
• Surgery (total or subtotal gastrectomy) followed by chemoradiation therapy or chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy given before and after surgery.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemoradiation therapy testing new anticancer drugs.
• A clinical trial of chemoradiation therapy given before surgery.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II gastric cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stage III gastric cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (total gastrectomy).
• Surgery followed by chemoradiation therapy or chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy given before and after surgery.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemoradiation therapy testing new anticancer drugs.
• A clinical trial of chemoradiation therapy given before surgery.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III gastric cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment of stage IV or recurrent gastric cancer may include the following:

• Chemotherapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
• Targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy.
• Endoluminal laser therapy or endoluminal stent placement to relieve a blockage in the stomach, or gastrojejunostomy to bypass the blockage.
• Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to stop bleeding, relieve pain, or shrink a tumor that is blocking the stomach.
• Surgery as palliative therapy to stop bleeding or shrink a tumor that is blocking the stomach.
• A clinical trial of new combinations of chemotherapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage IV gastric cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.