What To Expect With Infusion Treatments for Gastric Cancer

If you have advanced gastric cancer (also known as stomach cancer), you and your doctor may have discussed possible infusion treatments.

What is an infusion treatment? And how does it differ from other potential cancer therapy options?

“An infusion treatment is a type of medication that you receive intravenously (IV) as opposed to taking a pill,” says oncologist Suneel Kamath, MD.

An infusion treatment delivers medication directly into your bloodstream through a needle or a catheter. This allows your cancer care team to manage the dose, or the amount you get, and how fast or slow you receive the medication.

Infusion treatments can be used for a variety of medical conditions, including various cancers. When it comes to gastric cancer, most treatments are infusions.

Dr. Kamath explains how to prepare and what you can expect with an infusion treatment.

Types of infusion treatments

It’s important to remember that an infusion treatment isn’t one specific kind of medication. An infusion treatment is when medication is administered through an IV.

Common infusion treatments that may be used for advanced gastric cancer include:

• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy

“Chemotherapy and immunotherapies are the most two commonly used when this type of cancer is advanced,” shares Dr. Kamath. “The most effective one that’s typically used is a combination of two different chemotherapy drugs that are infused and combined with an immunotherapy medication called nivolumab.”

In addition to any cancer treatments, you may also receive anti-nausea and other medications to help manage your side effects. Many of these are infusions, too. Fluids are also typically given through an IV to help keep you hydrated.

What to expect when you receive an infusion treatment

Many infusion treatments will need to take place in a clinical setting. Dr. Kamath says that most advanced gastric cancer infusion treatments require treatment every two to three weeks, but the actual frequency will be dependent on factors like how aggressive the cancer is, your age and your physical health.

Your doctor may suggest inserting a port (a small, flat disc attached to long, flexible tubing internally that’s commonly placed on the right side of your chest) to minimize the number of needle sticks you’d need at each session.

The type of medication you’re receiving can also affect the length of each appointment — it may take several minutes or a few hours.

So, what else do you need to know? Dr. Kamath offers the following advice and guidance.

Consider what to bring to an infusion treatment

It can be overwhelming and scary to go to your first infusion treatment for advanced gastric cancer. To help manage any anxiety and make yourself more comfortable, you may want to consider bringing the following:

• Books, journals, music, movies and games
• Phone, laptop or tablet
• Headphones
• Hobbies such as knitting, quilting or drawing
• Blanket or pillow
• Comfy clothes
• Water or other beverages
• Snacks and meals

“Most people don’t have nausea during their infusions and are able to eat normally,” says Dr. Kamath.

Discuss how to manage side effects

While you may be prepared to deal with side effects immediately after an infusion, Dr. Kamath says that’s not necessarily the case.

“A lot of people are nervous about the day of infusion and how they’re going to feel,” he continues. “On the day of treatment, most people feel fine. The side effects of these medications often occur later — around two to four days after the infusions are given. This is especially true with chemo, which is the majority of infusions used to treat advanced gastric cancer.”

If you’re experiencing side effects such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, your cancer care team is equipped to help you reduce or minimize your side effects.

“We’ve gotten a lot more aggressive about treating the side effects of chemo,” he adds. “The nausea medications and the diarrhea medications that we use today can help you feel better while going through treatment.”

How to decide which infusion treatment is right for you

Your doctor and your cancer care team will take a variety of factors into account to determine what type of infusion treatment they recommend for you. And it’s important that you understand the benefits and risks of undergoing treatment. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

“The average survival rate for advanced gastric cancer is around 15 months — and that’s with chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments,” notes Dr. Kamath. “Advanced gastric cancer is a very aggressive type of cancer that’s not particularly responsive to the treatments we have, including immunotherapy.”

But he adds that there’s a lot of promise about how advanced gastric cancer will be treated in the future.

“There are a lot of new medications and treatments on the horizon for gastric cancer. Research is focused on finding more targeted treatments,” says Dr. Kamath. “Targeted therapies can be more effective at treating stomach cancer and they also have fewer side effects in many cases.”