Second Opinion for Stomach Cancer | MediGence

What is Stomach Cancer Treatment?

Stomach cancer treatment is done to manage stomach cancer. There are several treatment options available for stomach cancer. These include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. For stomach cancer that has not been spread, the oncologists prefer the surgery to remove the affected part of the stomach. The treatment strategy may differ among oncologists, and it is important to seek a second opinion before initiating the treatment.

Why should you opt for Second Opinion before undergoing Stomach Cancer Treatment?

If you have been diagnosed with stomach cancer, it is important to seek a second opinion before initiating any treatment. There are several reasons for seeking a second opinion:

• Confirmation: It has been reported that about 88% of the patients have a new or revised diagnosis during a second opinion. You may also have a similar case. Symptoms of stomach cancer overlap with several conditions, and it is challenging to accurately diagnose the cause. Seek a second opinion is highly recommended as it is not only to reconfirm your diagnosis but at times avoid any unnecessary treatment like surgery. The most crucial part is to confirm the stage of cancer which is the most significant deliverable of a second opinion report.
• Treatment validation: Aggressive stomach cancer traditionally requires surgery to remove the entire stomach. But it is life-changing surgery. You must seek a second opinion before undergoing any treatment procedures, as these are generally considered irreversible procedures. In case of tiny tumors, the doctor, during a second opinion, may advise you for endoscopic submucosal dissection that involves removing the tumor without removing the complete stomach.
• Novel treatment options: Countries vary significantly in delivering healthcare, and underdeveloped and developing countries may not have the advanced infrastructure to manage stomach cancer. Seeking a second opinion, especially from the oncology experts in developed countries, may help provide information about the advanced and novel treatment options that improve outcomes.
• Seeking detailed information about the disease: As a patient, you have the right to know about your disease’s type, severity, and possible outcome. The doctor may not provide detailed information about your diagnosis and only prescribe the treatment in many cases. However, unless you do not understand the details of the disease, you may not be mentally involved in your treatment. The second opinion allows the patients to get adequate information about the disease.
• Understanding prognosis: The second opinion helps the patients understand the disease’s prognosis, complications, and survival chances.

Most Common Conditions to be Diagnosed for Stomach Cancer Treatment

Because of the complexity involved in several stomach diseases and overlapping symptoms and presentations, there are high chances that the doctor may have wrongly diagnosed the patients with stomach cancers. Several diseases may mimic stomach cancer in terms of presentation (symptoms) and imaging. Some of these diseases are:

• Primary gastric tuberculosis: It is a rare condition but may mimic the symptoms of stomach cancer. The primary cause of the disease is consuming food contaminated with tuberculous bacilli. Immunocompromised people or HIV patients are at increased risk for developing this disease. The symptoms of this condition include epigastric pain, weight loss, and loss of appetite.
• Stomach epithelial tumors: These tumors are also known as polyps. These are among the most common benign tumors and constitute about 75% of all benign stomach tumors. Even if your diagnosis has changed from malignancy to benign epithelial tumors, there is a need for monitoring. Studies have reported an increased risk of malignancy in such patients.
• Other benign stomach tumors: There are several other types of benign stomach tumors, such as fibroma, mucocele, lymphangioma, hemangioma, lipomas, peripheral nerve tumor, leiomyoma, pancreatic heterotopia, and perivascular tumor.

Also Read: Cancer Treatment: Second Opinion for Better Management of Risk Factors

Questions to ask your Doctor for Stomach Cancer Treatment

While seeking a second opinion, you have the opportunity to seek answers to the unresolved doubts. Therefore, it is advisable to note all the questions you wish to ask the doctor. Some of the questions that may be asked during a second opinion and may improve your understanding of the disease, complications, possible treatment options, and prognosis, are:

• What other tests do I need to undergo to confirm or alter my diagnosis?
• What are the other treatment options for my diagnosis?
• Are the advanced treatment options available in the native country? If not, which country is best for undergoing such treatment?
• What would be the possible causes for my symptoms other than which is diagnosed
• What is the cost of treatment, and which hospital or doctor is best for having treatment in case there is a change in opinion or line of treatment?
• What are the complications and prognosis?
• Is there any complete cure for my disease?
• Is my disease recurring? If yes, what is the frequency?

Tests are required before undergoing a second opinion for Stomach Cancer Treatment.

The Board of doctors for providing the second opinion requires detailed information about the patient. Some of the documents that the patients or their relatives take with them or upload on the https://medigence.com/second-opinion/ for the second opinion include:

• Complete medical history of the patient: The patient should upload all the possible documents to allow the doctor to understand the medical history. Sometimes, medical history, including previous and ongoing treatment, helps the doctor better understand the disease.
• Family history details: Some of the diseases have hereditary links. It is important to provide information, in great detail, about any particular disease in the family.
• Prescriptions: Side effects of the drugs may also cause complications and symptoms. You should upload all the prescriptions, ongoing or previous, to help the doctor evaluate if your symptoms originated as side effects of any drug or drug interactions.
• Imaging results: Imaging results are extremely important in understanding the thought process of prior doctors behind your diagnosis. MediGence has allowed the uploading of Dicom images for better view. Upload MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound report on the portal.
• Results of biopsy: The biopsy results will help the doctor get more details about your disease. He may also find any error in diagnosis or suspect some other disease by pointing out those characteristics that the prior doctor may have missed
• The treatment advised or initiated: You should also upload the treatment prescription provided by the doctor and provide information if the treatment has been initiated.

Second Opinion with MediGence

High-quality, detailed second opinion from renowned experts in a specific therapeutic area plays a vital role in the prognosis of the disease. It is important given the high percentage of misdiagnosis. Thus, there is a requirement for a reliable and authentic healthcare partner who has the required expertise in providing the best, most detailed, authentic, and timely second opinion report. Whenever you require a second opinion, count on MediGence.