There are several tumors affecting the stomach. The most common tumor type affecting the stomach and the junction between the esophagus and the stomach (JEG) is the adenocarcinoma. Patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the stomach or the GEJ are referred in most cases to surgical therapy. After initial visit to the Surgical Oncology Clinic the extent of disease can be evaluated by several ways. The initial assessment includes, blood tests for tumor markers and a CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis or PET-CT. Selected patients are also evaluated by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and/or video laparoscopy.
 
Patients with local disease will be of offered surgical therapy in the form of partial or total resection of the stomach (subtotal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy). Resection of the stomach is performed with clearance of all lymph nodes that may harbor metastasis. Clusters of lymph nodes are located around the stomach and adjacent organs and removed in a certain technique developed in Japan and widely adopted in some Western countries called D2.