Gastric Cancer Survivorship: Multidisciplinary Management, Best Practices and Opportunities

Purpose Gastric cancer is the 5th most common malignancy worldwide. As early detection increases and treatments for gastric cancer improve, the number of gastric cancer survivors grows. Methods Here, we review the diagnosis and management of gastric cancer and discuss important considerations for gastric cancer survivorship including cancer surveillance, weight loss, malnutrition, fatigue, specific complications related to surgery and radiation, quality of life in gastric cancer survivorship, health behavior, and models of survivorship. Results Multimodality therapy with chemotherapy and surgery can result in chronic toxicities in multiple organ systems. This emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary survivorship care model including cancer surveillance, management of chronic toxicities, and optimization of modifiable risk factors with long-term involvement of appropriate providers. Conclusion Adequately caring for gastric cancer survivors requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach.