Abstract

In the end, correct knowledge is the greatest "weapon" to face cancer.
Please pick up this book before reading uncertain articles circulating on the Internet!

Cancer is no longer called an "incurable disease" due to advances in medical care. But because of this, it has become increasingly important for people affected by cancer to live "their own life" while facing treatment. If you know the current status of cancer treatment and have the correct knowledge, you can realize your "own life. What are the side effects of anticancer drugs? What will I have to eat after the surgery? What are the possibilities of immunotherapy? ...... and so on. There may be many misconceptions in the fragmented and judgmental articles on the Internet. Please get the "correct knowledge" through the careful articles and illustrations in this book. From the supervisor's "Preface

Cancer used to be called an "incurable disease," but diagnostic and treatment methods for cancer have evolved remarkably, and now the five-year survival rate for cancer as a whole has improved to more than 60%. Gastric cancer, in particular, is one of the easiest cancers to cure, with a five-year survival rate of more than 95% in its early stages. However, treatment of gastric cancer is still a "big deal" for patients and their families. If you are reading this book, you may be in a situation where you or someone close to you has undergone surgery for stomach cancer.
The stomach is an organ that plays an important role in storing and digesting the food we take in through our mouths, and then gradually delivering it to the small intestine. Unfortunately, stomach cancer surgery often involves the removal of a large area of the stomach that appears normal, including lymph nodes where the cancer may have metastasized. Patients and their families often wonder how the surgery will change their lives, what they will be able to eat if the stomach is reduced in size, and whether they will be able to balance work and treatment. These are some of the endless concerns of patients and their families.
In 2013, we published "Life After Gastric Cancer Surgery: A Reader" to somehow alleviate these concerns. Over the years, many patients and their families have supported this book, and we are pleased to now offer it in a completely revised edition.
Ten years later, surgery is still the mainstay of gastric cancer treatment, but laparoscopic surgery, which places less burden on the patient, has become more widespread, and robot-assisted surgery has also appeared. In chemotherapy, measures have been taken to reduce side effects, and outpatient treatment has become the mainstream. For recurrent gastric cancer, drugs that are tailored to the type of cancer and drugs that work on the immune system are proving effective. In addition to providing easy-to-understand explanations of the latest gastric cancer treatments, this book also provides more detailed information on how the body changes after surgery and how to cope with the changes.
Even if you undergo the exact same surgery, what happens afterward will vary from person to person, and people's anxiety can be compounded by what they don't know or what they don't understand. First of all, we would like you to have a "general outlook on life after surgery. We hope that this book will help you to reduce your anxiety about life after gastric cancer surgery and live a better life in the future.
Takeshi Sano

Author’s Information

Director of Cancer Research Ariake Hospital. Born in Oita Prefecture in 1955. Graduated from the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo in 1980. After working at the First Department of Surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital and Yaizu City General Hospital, he studied abroad at the Curie Institute in Paris from 1986 to 1987 as a French government-funded student. Since 1993, he has been working in the Department of Surgery at the National Cancer Center Hospital. He has served as the medical director since 1996 and as the director since 2007. In 2008, he became the head of the Department of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Cancer Institute Ariake Hospital. Became current position in July 2018 after serving as director and vice director of the Gastroenterology Center. By integrating Japan's ``Stomach Cancer Handling Regulations'' and the international index ``TNM Classification,'' which indicates the stage of progression, we will build a common platform for gastric cancer treatment worldwide. In addition, with the aim of raising the overall standard of gastric cancer treatment, he taught and popularized the D2 gastrectomy, which was developed in Japan, in 41 countries around the world. He positions himself as the spokesperson for ``D2 gastrectomy,'' and his ability is recognized around the world. He has served as director of the Japanese Gastric Cancer Society, secretary general of the International Gastric Cancer Society, and chairman of the gastric cancer treatment guideline creation committee. His supervised books include ``The latest treatment guide for a complete cure for stomach cancer'' (Kodansha).