Former minister Gérard Collomb announces that he suffers from stomach cancer

“Last Monday I learned that I had stomach cancer. I will fight against the disease with the same energy that I had put at the service of Lyon, of our Metropolis when I exercised the functions of Mayor and President.. It is with these words that Gérard Collomb, 75, announced that he was affected by the disease.

Lots of support

The one who was mayor of the city of Lyon between 2001 and 2017 then from 2018 to 2020 but also Minister of the Interior during Emmanuel Macron’s first five-year term between May 2017 and October 2018 has received many supports since this announcement.

“I sincerely wish to repeat it to you after our call, receive my fraternal thoughts and my sincere support. Take care of yourself”reacted the current mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet.

“Lots of courage to you Mr. Collomb in this fight against the disease”also replied Benjamin Badouard, co-president of the group Les Écologistes de la Métropole du Grand Lyon.

Two types of stomach cancer

Stomach cancer is a disease that affects approximately 6,000 people each year in France, mostly men over 65. The average age at diagnosis is 74 years in women and 71 years in men. Stomach cancer is much more common in men (65%) than in women. In addition to age and gender, other risk factors for this disease are: Helicobacter Pylori infections, nutritional factors (diet high in salt, nitrates, smoked meats and low in fruits and vegetables, and vitamin C), a low socio-economic level, smoking, obesity, family history…

There are two types :

• A form that affects the epithelial cells directly in contact with the food bolus; this represents the vast majority of cases, between 85 and 95%;
• A second rarer form, mesenchymal sarcomas, develop from cells forming the wall of the stomach. They represent 5 to 15% of cases.

Management related to early diagnosis

The treatment of stomach cancer lies mainly in surgery, supplemented by radiotherapy or chemotherapy, in a complementary way. Finally, remember that the chances of survival are directly linked to the precocity of the diagnosis.

But early diagnosis is difficult because the disease often progresses silently, with most patients showing no symptoms for a long time. In more advanced stages, symptoms can be found, but they are not specific: indigestion, heartburn, weight loss, loss of appetite, epigastric pain, nausea, anemia…

The diagnosis is based on the realization of biopsies at the level of the tumor. For this, an endoscope (tube introduced through the mouth to the stomach) will allow tumor fragments to be removed. These fragments will be examined under a microscope to make the diagnosis. Then, the extension assessment will be carried out: its purpose is to determine the local and general extension of the tumor (size of the tumor, invasion of the lymph nodes around the stomach, etc.). This phase will be evaluated by endoscopy, radiography, scanner and ultrasound if necessary.

The treatment of stomach cancer depends on several factors including the staging, the stage of the cancer, the age of the patient and his general state of health. It is based on surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care.

The main treatment is surgery. Depending on the tumour, it will consist of removing the tumor and part of the surrounding lymph nodes. Surgery (total or partial gastrectomy) is the only curative treatment for gastric cancer. It may be supplemented by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy depending on the staging assessment. Chemotherapy can be used before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor, or afterwards postoperatively with radiotherapy. In some cases, chemotherapy is used alone. Immunotherapy is also beginning to appear to treat patients, as in the case of lung cancer, for example.