Stomach Cancer Symptoms and Promising Drug Herceptin

There's a story about stomach cancer symptoms on the WBAL (Baltimore) website that is good reading for anyone interested in learning more about how stomach cancer can be insidious. It also has news about a promising treatment for stomach cancer.

Here's a sketch of the article.

A woman named Avis Halberstadt was having uncharacteristic stomach pain and general abdominal discomfort. Her doctor, Mercy Medical Center surgical oncologist Dr. Vadim Gushchin, soon diagnosed her with stomach cancer. Dr. Gushchin told WBAL

"The symptoms of stomach cancer are vague. Patients may have some abdominal discomfort, and have a low blood count because gastric cancers tend to bleed, and may start having indigestion."

Dr. Gushchin said the drug Herceptin shows promise for stomach cancer treatment. Herceptin has long been used for breast cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, Avis Halberstadt won't need it. She underwent surgery immediately and is now doing well two years later.

But isn't it nice to know that in the future, such surgery may not be needed, thanks to Herceptin...as long as those who have stomach cancer symptoms learn to recognize the danger signs soon enough?