Tablets from stomach cancer

Gastric cancer is a rapidly developing malignant disease. It comes from the epithelial cells of the mucosa, has several stages and a number of characteristic symptoms. This disease has long ceased to be a pathology of elderly patients. Today, oncology of the stomach affects younger people 40-50 years. Modern diagnostic methods can identify the disease in the early stages. Tablets from stomach cancer - this is one of the tools of complex therapy.

Most often the disease affects the pyloroentral section 70%, the area of small curvature 15%, the cardiac section 10% and about 5% falls on the area of large curvature of the stomach. By the nature of growth, pathology is divided into such forms: polyposis, ulcerated, diffuse and ulcerative infiltrative cancer. According to histology: adenocarcinoma, trabecular, medullary, mucous, undifferentiated, fibrotic and mixed gastric cancer.

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

• Preparation for the operation and improvement of its outcome.
• After surgery to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells.
• To reduce the size of the tumor and painful sensations.

The main types of chemotherapy:

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

For the treatment of gastric cancer are various schemes using combinations of chemotherapy drugs. The choice of this or that scheme depends on the clinical picture of the disease and the general condition of the patients. Consider the popular chemotherapy regimens:

• 5-fluorouracil, Epirubicin, Methotrexate (FEMTX).
• Epirubicin, Cisplatinum, Fluorouracil (ECF).
• Epirubicin, Oxaliplatinum, Capecitabine (EOX).

Read also:

• Chemotherapy for gastric 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 is different, an average of 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)

To treat malignant neoplasms of the stomach use a variety of efficacy and composition of chemotherapy. Bortezomib (Velcade) is a category of proteasome inhibitors and is a modified boric acid. The substance destroys the cancer cells.

• Indications for use: multiple myeloma. The medication is prescribed for patients who have completed 2 courses of another therapy, but the disease progresses. The standard dosage is 1.3 mg / m2 in the form of a bolus twice a week. Therapy courses are conducted with 10-day intervals. As a rule, 8 cycles are carried out.
• Contraindications: hypersensitivity to active substances. With special care is prescribed for the treatment of children. Application in the period of pregnancy is possible in the event that the potential benefit for the mother is higher than the risk for the fetus. When breastfeeding is not used.
• 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, hemodynamics and vital functions are observed.

[1], [2], [3]

Herceptin

A drug from humanized recombinant DNA-derived monoclonal antibodies. Herceptin contains an active substance - trastuzumab, which interacts with epidermal growth receptors and reduces the overexpression of HER2. Overexpression of HER2 is associated with a high percentage of advanced gastric cancer and lesions of the mammary glands.

• Indications for use: a common adenocarcinoma of the stomach, a common adenocarcinoma of the esophageal-gastric junction, metastatic breast cancer, early stages of breast cancer. 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, limb tremor, muscle and joint pain, progression of tumors and others. Overdose has similar signs, for its elimination, symptomatic therapy is performed.
• Contraindications: pregnancy and lactation, hypersensitivity to the active ingredient and ancillary components, severe shortness of breath associated with lung metastases, treatment of children.

Everolimus

Proliferative signal inhibitor, immunosuppressant. Everolimus has immunosuppressive properties, inhibits antigen-activated T cell proliferation. It disrupts the growth and multiplication of tumor cells, reduces the size of the neoplasm.

• Indications for use: common / metastatic neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, lung, renal cell carcinoma, hormone-dependent breast cancer in the postmenopausal period, subependimal giant cell astrocytomas, angiomyolipoma of the kidney. 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, age of patients under 18 years of age, hypersensitivity to the drug components. Used with caution simultaneously with inhibitors of CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein.
• Side effects: stomatitis, skin rash, asthenia, nausea and vomiting, peripheral edema, diarrhea, headaches and dizziness, secondary infections, disorders of the cardiovascular system. Overdose has a similar symptomatology, it is necessary to seek medical help for its elimination.

[4], [5], [6]