Stomach cancer pills

Stomach cancer is a rapidly developing malignant disease. It originates from the epithelial cells of the mucous membrane, has several stages and a number of characteristic symptoms. This disease has long ceased to be a pathology of elderly patients. Today, younger people aged 40-50 suffer from stomach cancer. Modern diagnostic methods make it possible to detect the disease at early stages. Pills for stomach cancer are one of the tools of complex therapy.

Most often, the disease affects the pyloroantral region 70%, the area of the lesser curvature 15%, the cardiac region 10% and about 5% falls on the area of the greater curvature of the stomach. By the nature of growth, the pathology is divided into the following forms: polypous, ulcerated, diffuse and ulcerative-infiltrative cancer. By histology: adenocarcinoma, trabecular, medullary, mucous, undifferentiated, fibrous and mixed gastric cancer.

One of the common methods of treating malignant lesions of any localization is chemotherapy. Its essence is based on the use of various drugs, in most cases of the cytostatic group, which stop the division of mutation cells and destroy them. The use of drugs has 90% effectiveness. In case of stomach cancer, they are prescribed for:

• Preparing for surgery and improving its outcome.
• After surgery to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells.
• To reduce the size of the tumor and pain.

The main types of chemotherapy are:

1. Neoadjuvant – reduces the size of the tumor to facilitate surgery or in preparation for surgery. The 5-year survival threshold with chemotherapy and surgery has increased from 20% to 36%.
2. Adjuvant – destroys remaining cancer cells, preventing relapse of the disease. It is worse tolerated than neoadjuvant, since the drugs are a kind of poison that weaken the protective properties of the immune system.
3. Palliative – used without surgery, i.e. as monotherapy. It relieves pain, reduces the growth of cancer cells, reduces the size of the tumor, prolonging the patient’s life.

For the treatment of stomach cancer, various schemes are made using combinations of chemotherapy drugs. The choice of one or another scheme depends on the clinical picture of the disease and the general condition of the patient. Let's consider popular chemotherapy schemes:

• 5-fluorouracil, Epirubicin, Methotrexate (FEMTX).
• Epirubicin, Cisplatin, Fluorouracil (ECF).
• Epirubicin, Oxaliplatin, Capecitabine (EOX).

Read also:

• Chemotherapy for stomach cancer
• Diet for stomach cancer

Both tablets and injections are prescribed. Treatment lasts from 4 to 6 months, and its results depend on the reaction of tumor cells to medications. The effect of chemotherapy varies, on average 30-40%. This is due to the biological activity of different tumor cells. In general, tablets improve the quality of life and its duration.

Bortezomib (Velcade)

Chemotherapy drugs of varying effectiveness and composition are used to treat malignant neoplasms of the stomach. Bortezomib (Velcade) is a proteasome inhibitor and is a modified boric acid. The substance destroys cancer cells.

• Indications for use: multiple myeloma. The drug is prescribed to patients who have undergone 2 courses of other therapy, but the disease is progressing. The standard dosage is 1.3 mg / m2 as a bolus 2 times a week. Therapy courses are carried out with 10-day breaks. As a rule, 8 cycles are carried out.
• Contraindications: hypersensitivity to active substances. With special caution is prescribed for the treatment of children. Use during pregnancy is possible in cases where the potential benefit to the mother is higher than the risk to the fetus. Do not use during breastfeeding.
• Side effects: increased fatigue, general weakness, attacks of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, decreased appetite, fever, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia.
• Overdose manifests as thrombocytopenia and acute hypotension. There is no specific antidote, so symptomatic therapy, monitoring of hemodynamics and vital functions are indicated.

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Herceptin

A medicinal product made from humanized recombinant DNA derivatives of monoclonal antibodies. Herceptin contains the active substance trastuzumab, which interacts with epidermal growth receptors and reduces HER2 hyperexpression. HER2 hyperexpression is associated with a high percentage of widespread gastric cancer and breast lesions.

• Indications for use: widespread gastric adenocarcinoma, widespread adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction, metastatic breast cancer, early stages of breast cancer. The dosage is selected by the doctor individually for each patient. The course of treatment lasts about 24 months.
• Side effects: cystitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, neutropenic sepsis, headaches and dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, leukopenia, dry mouth, stomatitis, tremor of the extremities, muscle and joint pain, progression of neoplasms, etc. Overdose has similar symptoms, symptomatic therapy is used to eliminate it.
• Contraindications: pregnancy and lactation, hypersensitivity to the active substance and auxiliary components, severe shortness of breath associated with metastases in the lungs, treatment of children.

Everolimus

Proliferative signal inhibitor, immunosuppressant. Everolimus has immunosuppressive properties, inhibits antigen-activated proliferation of T cells. Disrupts the growth and reproduction of tumor cells, reduces the size of the tumor.

• Indications for use: widespread/metastatic neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, lung, renal cell carcinoma, hormone-dependent breast cancer in the postmenopausal period, subependymal giant cell astrocytomas, renal angiomyolipoma. The drug is taken once a day at the same time, on an empty stomach. The recommended dosage is 10 mg per day.
• Contraindications: pregnancy and lactation, impaired liver and kidney function, patients under 18 years of age, hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. Use with caution simultaneously with CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein inhibitors.
• Side effects: stomatitis, skin rash, asthenia, nausea and vomiting, peripheral edema, diarrhea, headaches and dizziness, secondary infections, cardiovascular disorders. Overdose has similar symptoms, to eliminate it, you need to seek medical help.

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