Stomach

What is Stomach Cancer?

Ninety-five percent of stomach cancer begins in the glandular tissue lining the stomach. Occasionally, a tumor may develop in the lymph tissue or in the muscles of the stomach walls. Individuals in their 60s and 70s represent the largest population of people with stomach cancer. Men are twice as likely as women to get stomach cancer. Because stomach cancer has few symptoms, only 10 to 20 percent of this cancer is diagnosed before it has spread to other sites.

Stomach cancer was the leading cause of death between 1900 and 1945; however, in recent times, its incidence has decreased by 60 percent. Dietary changes are highly suspected. Stomach cancer is now the ninth-leading cause of death in men and the eleventh in women.

Stomach Risk Factors

• Nutrition. Individuals whose nutritional intake is low in fat or protein consumption, high in salted meats or fish or high in nitrates are at an increases risk for developing the disease.
• Vitamins. Individuals low in vitamins A and C. High-risk foods are believed to contain chemicals that may be converted into cancer-causing agents in the stomach. Substances in foods such as fruits and vegetables may deactivate these agents.
• Age. Individuals who are male and age 50-plus. Men are twice as likely as women to develop stomach cancer. Individuals who are in their 60s and 70s represent the largest population of stomach cancer patients.

Stomach Cancer Symptoms

Sometimes cancer can be in the stomach for a long time and can grow very large before it causes any symptoms. This is why only about 10 to 20 percent of stomach cancer is found before it has spread to other areas of the body. The following persistent ailments, especially if you are age 50-plus or in a high-risk group, should be brought to the attention of your physician:

• Weight loss and lack of appetite
• Abdominal pain and discomfort, usually above the navel
• An abnormal sense of fullness in the upper abdomen and below the chest bone, after even a small meal
• Heartburn, indigestion, or ulcer-type symptoms
• Nausea and vomiting, with or without blood
• Swelling of the abdomen, usually due to accumulation of fluid and cancer cells

Stomach Cancer Treatment

Surgery is the only chance of cure for stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer or gastric carcinoma. For the 20 percent of patients identified with early-stage disease, surgery may provide a complete cure. More frequently, the cancer has progressed. In these cases, surgery is performed with the hope of cure or to provide relief from the associated symptoms (bleeding and/or obstruction).

Surgical candidates may undergo the removal of most or all of the stomach (partial or total gastrectomy). How much of the stomach is resected depends on the extent of tumor involvement. Sometimes, the entire stomach is removed, a procedure that connects the esophagus (digestive channel) to the small bowel is performed (esophagogastrostomy).

Surrounding lymph nodes may also be removed. Analysis of these nodes indicates whether disease has spread into the lymph system. If there is evidence that the disease has progressed to the liver, cryosurgery, radiofrequency ablation, and/or standard liver resection may be considered at the time of stomach resection.