What to Know About Navigating Stomach Cancer and Treatment Options
A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming, creating a sense of uncertainty about the present and what’s to come. This can be especially true for people diagnosed with stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer. This year alone, an estimated 31,510 Americans will be diagnosed with stomach cancer, and the disease is expected to claim approximately 10,740 lives.
Through their work alongside the gastrointestinal (GI) cancer community, Martha Raymond, Chief Executive Officer, and Danielle Burgess, Chief Operating Officer of GI Cancers Alliance, witness firsthand the many challenges that come with a stomach cancer diagnosis — from learning how to partner with care teams to determine appropriate treatment options, to navigating the nutritional, social, and mental health impacts of living with the disease.
Diagnosed with a GI cancer as an adolescent, Danielle’s personal journey continues to shape her work and underscores the importance of advocacy and education when navigating a cancer diagnosis. “When I entered adult cancer care, which involves multiple specialized teams, I found the terminology and next steps confusing and needed additional support. I had to become my own advocate and educate myself so I could confidently navigate my cancer care. Today, I am passionate about helping other patients do the same thing.”
For Martha, a long-time GI cancer advocate, advancing research and deepening understanding of the patient journey remain critical priorities. “In my work and research alongside the stomach cancer community, I’ve seen how profoundly heavy a diagnosis can feel — not only physically, but emotionally — as individuals and families try to make sense of unfamiliar medical terms, numerous diagnostic tests, urgent decisions, and an uncertain road ahead,” said Martha. “Beyond treatment decisions, many people living with stomach cancer must also learn to navigate significant nutrition challenges, adapt to lifestyle changes following surgery, and cope with the emotional impact of a body that may feel unfamiliar.”
Together, these experiences can influence how patients relate to their loved ones and engage with the world around them, adding to the mental and emotional burden of a stomach cancer diagnosis—and often prompting the question, “Where do I go from here?” Below are some tips to help navigate life with stomach cancer.
Empower Yourself with the Latest Information
Educating yourself about stomach cancer, care options, and emerging therapies can help you feel more confident in managing your care and treatment plan. Understanding how you or your loved one may be affected by current advancements in precision care, including the important role of biomarkers in stomach cancer, is critical for guiding treatment decisions.
Biomarker testing is a vital tool for oncologists in prescribing treatment and for patients to understand their options. By asking your health care provider, ‘What are my tumor’s biomarkers?’, you can initiate conversations about this important testing. Biomarkers are physical or genetic changes in cancer cells that distinguish them from healthy cells and can serve as indicators of how cancer works, progresses, or responds to different treatments. Testing tumor cells can provide valuable insights into how best to manage cancer and identify available treatments.
Not All Stomach Cancer is the Same
Providers and patients are still discovering the value of targeted biomarker testing and precision medicine. Awareness of newly established biomarkers, such as Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2), can help inform decisions about first-line treatments.
CLDN18.2 is a tight junction protein in normal stomach cells that becomes exposed on the surface of the stomach cells during malignant transformation, making it an actionable biomarker for targeted therapy. Testing your tumor for CLDN18.2 expression may help predict whether the tumor is likely to respond to a certain approved targeted therapy.
The Test Your Biomarkers program, launched in 2024 by GI Cancers Alliance, provides educational resources designed to help patients better understand biomarker testing and its role in personalized care. The program includes online tools, patient videos, and information to support conversations between patients and their care teams. Built using patient-reported outcomes from individuals living with stomach cancer, the pilot program reached more than 2.1 million people.
“Our goal is to highlight the actionable and emerging biomarkers for each GI cancer type, educate about tumor-agnostic biomarkers that may influence treatment plans, and support patients as they navigate test results and clinical trial options,” said Danielle. “We hope to address the substantial deficits in biomarker education and awareness among all GI cancer patients, especially those in medically underserved populations.”
Select adult patients with stomach cancer that cannot be removed with surgery or that has spread to other parts of the body, and who are HER2-negative, may have their tumor tested for CLDN18.2 using an FDA-approved test. Discuss with your health care team what a CLDN18.2 positive result may mean and whether you may be a candidate for zolbetuximab-clzb plus chemotherapy containing fluoropyrimidine and platinum as a first treatment.
Understanding the specific type of stomach cancer you or your loved one has can support informed discussions with your health care professional about potential treatment approaches. As with any treatment, it’s important to talk openly with your care team about potential benefits, side effects, and how treatment may fit into your daily life.
Zolbetuximab-clzb may cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions, anaphylaxis and infusion related reactions and severe nausea and vomiting. See below for additional information about these serious side effects and other Important Safety Information, including common side effects. Discussing these options with your care team and support system can help you identify what medication and treatment course best matches your needs and current lifestyle.
As you explore treatment options, consider asking how therapies are administered, what side effects may occur, and what support is available throughout treatment. To read more information, please click here for Patient Information and here for Full Prescribing Information for zolbetuximab-clzb.
Partner with Your Care Team to Better Navigate Stomach Cancer
Your care team, which includes doctors, nurses, and other health care providers, plays a vital role alongside your loved ones in making important decisions throughout the treatment process. By maintaining open communication with your care team and staying informed about your care and treatment plan, you will be better prepared to face stomach cancer head-on.
“Over time, building trust with a care team — asking questions, voicing fears, and becoming active participants in treatment decisions — can help transform that initial fear into a sense of partnership and steadier ground,” said Martha. “With compassionate guidance and attention to both physical and emotional well-being, patients often discover resilience they didn’t know they carried.”
If you would like to learn more about GI Cancers Alliance and their mission, please visit: https://www.gicancersalliance.org/. To learn more about zolbetuximab, please visit: www.VYLOY.com.
Astellas is not affiliated with and does not endorse the organizations mentioned in this article.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR VYLOY (ZOLBETUXIMAB-CLZB)Before receiving VYLOY, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. What are the possible side effects of VYLOY?
The most common side effects of VYLOY include:
Your healthcare provider may slow the rate of your infusion, temporarily stop, or completely stop treatment with VYLOY if you have certain side effects. These are not all of the possible side effects of VYLOY. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Indication
It is not known if VYLOY is safe and effective in children. For further information, please talk to your doctor and click here for Patient Information and Full Prescribing Information for VYLOY. |
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