Stomach (Gastric) Cancer: Diagnosis & Treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Pictured: Karyn Goodman Radiation oncologist Karyn Goodman uses precise, cutting-edge technologies such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy to shrink stomach tumors while avoiding injury to healthy tissues.

At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, patients with stomach cancer are treated by our multidisciplinary team of experts, which includes more than 20 doctors who specialize in treating this type of cancer. The team is composed of surgeons, gastroenterologists, radiologists, interventional radiologists, pathologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering is one of the few National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers with a specific program in treating cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract, which includes the stomach and the area where the esophagus (the tube through which food and liquid travel) connects to the stomach.

Select from the sections below to read about the diagnosis and treatment of stomach cancer.

  • Diagnosis & Staging
    If your doctor suspects you have stomach cancer, he or she will use a thin, tube-like instrument called an endoscope to examine the inner lining of the stomach wall. Your doctor may take a small tissue sample (biopsy) of any concerning areas. A diagnosis is made based on how the tissue and its individual cells look under a microscope.
  • Treatment
    After a diagnosis of stomach cancer, our team of physicians helps each patient to select the treatment plan that best fits his or her individual needs. The choice of treatment for stomach cancer largely depends on the stage of the disease and whether it has spread to nearby organs, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body. The treatment plan may include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
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