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Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (such as x-rays) or particles to kill cancer cells. When treating stomach cancer (gastric cancer), radiation is often combined with other types of treatment, such as chemotherapy and/or surgery.

Chemotherapy can help make radiation therapy more effective against some stomach cancers. Using these treatments together is called chemoradiation.

When is radiation therapy used for stomach cancer?

Radiation can be used in different ways to help treat stomach cancer:

After surgery, if it appears that not all of the cancer was removed. It is typically given along with chemotherapy (known as chemoradiation).

As part of the main treatment, typically along with chemo (chemoradiation), for people whose cancer can’t be removed by surgery but hasn’t spread to distant parts of the body. Sometimes this might help shrink the cancer enough so that surgery becomes an option.

To help ease the symptoms of advanced stomach cancer, such as pain, bleeding, or eating problems. This is called supportive or palliative therapy.

How is radiation therapy given?

When radiation therapy is used to treat stomach cancer, a machine focuses the radiation on that area of the body. Often, precise types of radiation therapy, such three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), are used. These approaches use computers to aim the radiation at the cancer from several angles (as well as other special techniques). This can help focus the radiation on the cancer and limit the damage to nearby normal tissues.

Before your treatment starts, the radiation team will take careful measurements to determine the correct angles for aiming the radiation beams and the proper dose of radiation. This planning session, called simulation, usually includes getting imaging tests such as CT scans.

Getting radiation therapy is a lot like getting an x-ray, but the radiation is much stronger. The treatment itself is painless. Each treatment lasts only a few minutes, although the setup time — getting you into place for treatment — usually takes longer.

How often and how long you get radiation therapy depends on the reason it’s being given and other factors. Treatment can last anywhere from a few days to weeks.

Possible side effects of radiation therapy

Side effects from radiation therapy for stomach cancer can include:

• Skin changes, ranging from redness to blistering and peeling, in areas the radiation passes through
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Low blood cell counts

These usually go away within a few weeks after the treatment is finished.

When radiation is given with chemotherapy, side effects are often worse.

Some people may have problems eating and getting enough fluids during and after treatment. Some might need to have fluids given into a vein (IV) or have a feeding tube placed to get nutrition during treatment.

• If only needed for a short time, a tube can be passed down the nose and throat and into the stomach or intestine. This is known as a nasogastric tube or NG tube.
• If needed for a longer time, a tube can be placed through the skin in the abdomen and into the intestine during a surgical procedure. This is known as a jejunostomy tube or J-tube.

Radiation might also damage nearby organs. This could lead to problems such as heart or lung damage, or even an increased risk of another cancer later on. Doctors do their best to prevent this by using only the needed dose of radiation, carefully controlling where the beams are aimed, and shielding certain parts of the body from the radiation during treatment.

Be sure to tell your doctor about any side effects you have, because there are often ways to relieve them.