Stomach Cancer

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says each year approximately 24,000 Americans will learn they have stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer. The condition is a threat to life if left untreated and allowed to spread. (Read about "Cancer: What It Is") The number of stomach cancer cases is dropping in the United States. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says that it is only one fourth as common as it was in 1930. The reasons are unknown but ACS says it's suspected that the increase in refrigeration of foods and the corresponding reduction in salted and smoked foods in the American diet could be a factor.

The stomach is located in the upper abdomen and is part of the digestive system. (Read about "Digestive System") The upper part of the stomach connects to the esophagus, the lower part leads to the small intestine. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and start growing uncontrollably, dividing randomly and without order. These unneeded cells can accumulate and form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancer. They are usually removed and often do not come back. Malignant tumors are cancer and can pose a threat to life. Gastric cancer can develop in any part of the stomach. From there it can spread to lymph nodes and other organs such as the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and colon and throughout the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis. (Read about "Liver Cancer" "Pancreatic Cancer" "Colorectal Cancer")

Symptoms and warnings

ACS says stomach cancer can be difficult to detect. Patients in the early stages of gastric cancer may not have obvious symptoms. But there are things to look out for, according to ACS:

• persistent indigestion or a burning sensation in the stomach (Read about "Indigestion")
• abdominal pain
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhea or constipation (Read about "Diarrhea" "Constipation")
• bloating of the stomach after meals
• loss of appetite
• weakness and fatigue
• bleeding, such as vomiting blood, having blood in the stool or having black stool (Read about "Gastrointestinal Bleeding")

These may also be symptoms of less serious problems such as a stomach virus or an ulcer. (Read about "Microorganisms" "Peptic Ulcers") If you have any of these symptoms see your doctor. The earlier the cancer is discovered the better the chances of successful treatment.

Diagnosis and Treatment

ACS says early diagnosis is vital to treating stomach cancer. Your doctor has several types of tests he can do to determine if you have stomach cancer. They include a test to check for hidden blood in the stool; x-rays that can be taken of the esophagus and stomach; or your doctor may order an endoscopy. (Read about "X-rays" "Endoscopy") This examination uses a thin, lighted tube called a gastroscope. It is passed through the mouth allowing your doctor to look directly into your stomach. Samples of tissue may also be removed for biopsy or further examination. (Read about "Biopsy")

Once cancer of the stomach is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The doctor needs to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment. The following stages are used for cancer of the stomach:

• Stage 0

  Stage 0 cancer of the stomach is very early cancer. Cancer is found only in the innermost layer of the stomach wall.

• Stage I

  Cancer is in the second or third layers of the stomach wall and has not spread to lymph nodes near the cancer or is in the second layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor. (Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures that are found throughout the body. They produce and store infection-fighting cells.) (Read about "The Lymph System")

• Stage II

  Any of the following may be true:

  • Cancer is in the second layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes further away from the tumor.
  • Cancer is only in the muscle layer (the third layer) of the stomach and has spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor.
  • Cancer is in all four layers of the stomach wall but has not spread to lymph nodes or other organs.

• Stage III

  Any of the following may be true:

  • Cancer is in the third layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes further away from the tumor.
  • Cancer is in all four layers of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes either very close to the tumor or further away from the tumor.
  • Cancer is in all four layers of the stomach wall and has spread to nearby tissues. The cancer may or may not have spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor.

• Stage IV

  Cancer has spread to nearby tissues and to lymph nodes further away from the tumor or has spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment can depend on the size and extent of the tumors, and the patient's general health. (Read about "Cancer Treatments") NCI lists several options for those diagnosed with stomach cancer. They include:

• Surgery to remove cancerous tissue. This is the most common treatment for stomach cancer and is called a gastrectomy. All or part of the stomach may be removed.
• Radiation therapy to target cancerous tissues and stop them from growing.
• Chemotherapy, which uses anticancer drugs to destroy cancerous and noncancerous cells.

Help protect yourself

NCI says stomach cancer occurs most often in people over 50 and twice as many men as women develop it. Family history (Read about "Family Health History") may also play a role. ACS also calls alcohol consumption a suspected cause, particularly of cancers to the upper portion of the stomach. (Read about "Alcoholism") Some other risk factors according to ACS:

• smoking (Read about "Quit Smoking")
• previous stomach surgery
• blood type A

To lower your risk of developing gastric cancer, ACS recommends you avoid a diet containing large amounts of smoked, pickled or preserved foods and instead choose most foods from plant sources. This includes fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, pasta, rice and beans.

More Cancer Information:

    Cancer Check-ups

    Cancer Support

    Cancer Treatments

    Reduce Cancer Risks

    Cancer Glossary

For a list of individual types of cancer, see Cancer: What It Is

Related Information:

    Ménétrier's Disease

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