Stomach (Gastric) Cancer
By: Carlie Davis
Basic Info
- Stomach cancer (also known as Gastric cancer) is cancer that develops in the stomach.
- The cells that line the stomach become cancerous
- The cancer first starts in the stomach and then can spread to other parts of the body
Source: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-what-is-stomach-cancer
Symptoms
Early symptoms include:
- indigestion
- heart burn
- nausea
- loss of appetite
- discomfort in stomach/abdominal region
- bloody stool
- weight loss
- bloody vomit or vomiting
- weakness or fatigue
Possible Causes
- Gender
- Race
- Where you live
- Blood type
- Smoking and excessive drinking
- Stomach cancer is hereditary and can be inherited
- If you have H Pylori, you have a higher risk of getting stomach cancer
Prevention
- Eating healthy foods like fruits (especially citrus fruits) and vegetables
- Avoid tobacco use
- Treat H Pylori infection
- Take aspirin
- Avoid excessive drinking
Source: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-prevention
Treatment
To treat stomach cancer, radiation and chemotherapy is not needed. Instead, they will perform surgery to remove parts of the stomach, or in some cases, take the whole stomach.
Source: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-treating-by-stage
How is Stomach Cancer Diagnosed?
First, the doctors will assess your symptoms and then either do an upper endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, or biopsy.
Source: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-diagnosis
Who Gets Stomach Cancer?
- mostly men
- chances increase over the age of 50
- people with H Pylori
- African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians
- The average age of people who are diagnosed with stomach cancer is 69
- 6 out of 10 people who are diagnosed with stomach cancer are 65 and older
- 1 out of 111 people will be diagnosed with stomach cancer in their lifetime
Sources: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-risk-factors
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-key-statistics