Doctors may recommend that patients who have had surgery for stomach cancer eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than fewer large meals. Because the stomach plays an important role in vitamin absorption, patients may also be prescribed vitamin supplements.
Patients treated for stomach cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering will continue to see their doctor regularly for follow-up examinations and tests once treatment is complete. Patients who experience any new symptoms should contact their doctor right away.
Survival from stomach cancer depends on how advanced the disease was when it was first diagnosed. Patients with cancer that was diagnosed early generally have the best chance of survival.
Rehabilitation Therapy
Rehabilitation therapy plays an important role in improving the quality of life of patients with gastric cancer. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, physical therapists work closely with the medical team to improve patients' mobility, strength, and endurance after surgery or medical treatments. They offer patients valuable techniques to increase mobility without increasing pain or discomfort and teach energy-conserving techniques to help patients decrease the fatigue they may experience during hospitalization and medical treatments.
Occupational therapists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering educate patients about any changes in function they can expect during and after treatment and about adaptive equipment and compensatory techniques that can increase their independence when going about their daily activities.
To learn more about the role of rehabilitation services in the care of cancer patients, visit the Rehabilitation section of our Web site.
Other Aspects of Survivorship
In addition to doctors and nurses, other members of the healthcare team are available to help patients and their family members cope with the emotional, social, and financial concerns surrounding a cancer diagnosis. We encourage patients who have been diagnosed with stomach cancer to seek their assistance.
To help patients manage some of the other issues that may come up in survivorship, Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers a wide range of programs for cancer survivors, including the following:
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Counseling Center
Our Counseling Center offers individual and family counseling sessions to help cancer survivors and their families address the problems that they may encounter in adjusting to life after treatment.
Living Beyond Cancer
People facing the challenges of cancer survivorship can access a variety of support services through the Living Beyond Cancer section of our Web site. This section includes information about professionally led support groups and counseling, survivorship clinics to manage late effects of cancer and its treatment, recommendations about screening and healthy living, and specialized services to address sexual and reproductive health. We also offer a range of resources to help survivors, families, and friends better understand the complex emotional and social issues that may arise following treatment.
Additional services are offered through our Resources for Life After Cancer program, which provides a full range of educational support services, including individual and family counseling, periodic lectures or workshops to provide medical updates, and practical guidance on employment and insurance issues.
Integrative Medicine Service
Our Integrative Medicine Service is designed to enhance quality of life through healing regimens that address the body, mind, and spirit. Beneficial complementary therapies include various types of massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, meditation, visualization and other mind-body therapies, music therapy, and nutritional counseling, as well as classes such as yoga, t'ai chi, and chair aerobics.
Help for Older Patients
A diagnosis of cancer is difficult at any age, but older patients face unique challenges. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is committed to providing cancer patients aged 65 and older with the treatment, facilities, and support they need.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers the services of a multidisciplinary geriatric team, which includes physicians, clinical nurse specialists, social workers, nutritionists, and psychiatrists, as well as members of the Pain and Palliative Care Department and the Integrative Medicine Service. The programs and care the team provides focus on the needs of elderly cancer patients.
For more information about our services for older patients as well as for their family and friends, visit the Help for Older Patients section of our Web site.
Screening & Wellness
Memorial Sloan-Kettering provides numerous prevention, screening, and wellness services. Information about these services; up-to-date information on cancer screening tests and guidelines; and guidance on how to stop smoking and how to follow a healthy diet can be found in the Prevention & Screening section of our Web site.
Access Information Through our Patient Portal
Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers a secure Web site — called MYMSKCC — for patients to access personalized information about their care. If you enroll to use MYMSKCC, you can view, confirm, and keep track of appointments; access over 300 lab results; make changes to contact and insurance information; communicate with your healthcare team and other staff using secure electronic messages; and pay bills and view balances. Learn more about MYMSKCC.
To enroll in MYMSKCC, please ask a session assistant in clinic or contact your physician's office.
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