Abdominal cancers are those cancers that occur in your stomach and can be spread to other parts of the body. Also, it is almost one of the most complex cancers to detect, which is why they are sometimes referred to as silent killers. This silent killer is often undetectable in the early stage, which makes it difficult for them to be treated.
In fact, according to our research, stomach cancer usually doesn’t have many symptoms that help in identifying them. There hardly are one or two signs that patients in the early stages see.
For example, patients may suffer from symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, discomfort around the lower area of the stomach, difficulty in swallowing, feeling weak or tired, or often feeling full just after a few bites.
Patients usually ignore all of these symptoms as less serious health problems. That is why stomach cancer frequently develops slowly and silently without you knowing about it.
What are the Common Symptoms of Stomach Cancer?
There are ample reasons why stomach cancer can happen in the first place.
The very first and most obvious reason is having a family history of stomach cancer and genetic issues.
Another common reason why people are often diagnosed with stomach cancer is whether they are heavy drinkers, smokers, or someone who often eats and consumes high amounts of red meats and processed food.
That is why treating stomach cancer can be scary and frightening as they aren’t curable in the later stages, and they are not that effective under your traditional surgery and normal chemotherapy that is primarily used in treating other cancers.
Just because they are challenging to treat doesn’t mean they can’t be treated.
With modern advancements in medicines and drugs, a new treatment called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) offers new hope to stomach cancer patients. HIPEC surgery uses a combination of both surgery and chemotherapy to treat malignant tumors.
This guide will explore what exactly (HIPEC) Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy treatment (HIPEC) is and how much is the cost of HIPEC treatment.
How is HIPEC Different from Traditional Cancer Treatments?
HIPEC, often called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, is a modern treatment used to diagnose and treat the cancer cells in your stomach.
How is HIPEC used in treating your stomach cancer?
The very first step of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy treatment is to remove all the visible cells that can be seen with the naked eye. Your highly skilled operating oncologist removes all the cancer cells as much as possible. This surgery is also called “Cytoreduction.”
Once all the cells are removed, a heated chemotherapy that is usually around 106–108° F is directly applied throughout your stomach. This ensures all the remaining tumors are killed. This therapy lasts around 1 hour to 2 hours, depending on your condition and case.
The complete treatment is designed to ensure stomach cancer cells are treated effectively with low chances of recurrence. Moreover, it also aims at reducing side effects of stomach cancer.
As for how it’s different from your traditional cancer treatment, The undeniable fact is that HIPEC surgery combines both traditional operations with chemotherapy. The heated chemotherapy that is used in curing stomach cancer is directly applied inside your stomach, which is very unlikely in normal chemotherapy. Not to mention, the drug dose of HIPEC chemotherapy is more on the higher side than your traditional cancer chemotherapy.
This is because HIPEC is meant to reduce side effects after the post-operation of stomach cancer. It is also designed to ensure patients have quicker and smoother recovery without putting too much burden on their bodies.
How Painful is HIPEC Surgery?
Just like any other surgery, you are bound to experience pain post-HIPEC surgery.
During the surgery, you wouldn’t be feeling much pain as you would be injected with anesthesia which would numb your whole body during the treatment. However, once post-surgery, as the effects of anesthesia start to wear off, you would gradually begin to feel pain.
Depending on your tolerance towards pain, the degree of pain experienced by patients varies from person to person. It also depends on the stage and condition of your disease. Furthermore, patients may also feel pain and discomfort around the surgical cut or due to inflammation and swelling, which occurs post-HIPEC surgery.
But don’t worry; although you may experience some excruciating pain with the help of pain-reducing medicine, this, too, becomes manageable.
Are There Any Possible Side Effects of HIPEC Treatment?
As HIPEC surgery is an intense treatment that combines both surgery and heated chemotherapy, it puts a lot of strain on your body and mental health. There are side effects that many patients of stomach cancer often go through post-surgery of HIPEC.
Post-surgery of HIPEC patients often experience pain and discomfort, especially during the initial days of the surgery. They are unable to move, sit properly, or eat as any movement intensifies the pain and discomfort around their stomach. This pain can be controllable through painkillers and pain relief medicines.
Other common side effects of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy are; feeling nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, changes in bowel movements, etc.
There is also an increase in the risk of getting inflection around the surgical incision if not taken proper care and precautions. Patients may also experience weakness, constant tiredness, and fatigue. This can last several months until your body fully recovers from HIPEC.
What are the Success Rates and Life Expectancy After HIPEC Surgery?
The success rate after HIPEC varies, depending on the patient and what type of stomach cancer they have, at what stage it is, and the overall health of the patient.
For some cancers like ovarian cancer, the survival rate of HIPEC surgery is about 5 years post-surgery. This is the same with patients suffering from colorectal cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma, and others.
As for the survival rate for stomach cancer patients post HIPEC surgery, it depends on the stage of the cancer. For stage 1 stomach cancer patients, the survival rate of such patients is significantly higher due to early detection. This improves the chances and efficiency of treatment.
For stage 2 stomach cancer patients, there is still a risk of cancer being spread to other parts of the body, but it can still be cured with an average lifespan of about 5 years.
For stage 3 stomach cancer patients, the survival rate drops down to 30 to 40% as the cancer has already spread to other organs and the effect of the medicine slows down.
Lastly, for stage 4 stomach cancer patients, it becomes merely 6% (survival rate for 5 years) as the disease already affects several parts, and it also increases the complications, which makes it challenging to treat stomach cancer.
Your survival rate also drastically depends on your lifestyle post-HIPEC surgery and how well your body is coping with the treatment.
How Much is the Cost of HIPEC Treatment in India?
HIPEC treatment is a complex procedure that requires expensive medicines and drugs to treat patients with stomach cancer.
In India, the average cost of treating stomach cancer with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy surgery is roughly 4,00,000 INR to 7,00,000 INR. This differs from hospital to hospital and the complexity of the case.
While HIPEC treatment in Ahmedabad can cost you somewhere around 4 to 6 lakhs again, depending on the hospital
Overcoming Stomach Cancer with HIPEC Surgery
Overall, stomach cancer is complex and one of the hardest cancers to treat, but it’s not incurable. It can be cured through HIPEC treatment that uses both surgery and heated chemotherapy to reduce the chances of stomach cancer recurrence in patients.
It also ensures that post-surgery patients recover quickly. However, there are certain challenges patients face post-surgery. After surgery, sure, there might be some pain to deal with, some side effects too. But, remember, the benefits can be a big deal for patients.
When it comes to finding the best HIPEC treatment in Ahmedabad, Dr. Aditi Bhatt is a renowned specialist. As an acclaimed specialist, she has a lot of experience in dealing with abdominal cancers.
Known across India, she is a top HIPEC surgeon in Ahmedabad. She puts in the effort to make sure her patients get proper, personalized care during their battle with cancer.
Dr. Bhatt shines in her profession because of her unique approach, making her a top pick for HIPEC surgery.
Think about HIPEC treatment in Ahmedabad? Dr. Aditi Bhatt is your trusted name. Count on her for an excellent result and kind care.
