There isn't a simple answer to this question. This is because there are several different types of treatment for stomach (gastric) cancer. The main treatment for cancer of the stomach is surgery although chemotherapy and occasionally radiotherapy may be used.

Choosing the right treatment depends on many factors. These include:

• the stage and grade of the cancer
• your age, health and general fitness.

Your wishes are also important. Before any decisions are made about treatment you should be able to discuss the possible options with your doctor or nurse. Doctors and nurses who treat cancer are organised into specialised teams of experts, called multidisciplinary teams. There are specific teams to deal with each of the main types of cancer. These teams are in place at hospitals throughout the UK. There should be a specialist team for stomach cancer at a hospital near to where you live.

There are also guidelines for the management of stomach cancer.

It is perfectly reasonable to ask your cancer specialist if they have a particular interest in stomach cancer and whether they are part of a multidisciplinary team. If you aren't sure about the treatment you are offered you can talk things through with your G.P. or ask to be referred for a second opinion. Most specialists don't mind when people ask for a second opinion. Often the advice given is the same as that from the first specialist but this can increase your confidence in the treatment you are being offered.

From time to time new types of treatment for cancer are discovered. These may be given a lot of publicity in the press or on TV. Often these treatments are so new that they have not yet been properly tested. Testing is vital to make sure new treatments are safe and to find out if they are better than current treatment. This process takes time and it may be several years before a new treatment becomes widely available.