13/02/2024
Stomach Cancer
• What Causes Stomach Cancer?
• What Are the Symptoms of Stomach Cancer?
• How Is Stomach Cancer Diagnosed?
Stomach cancer begins when cancer cells form in the inner lining of your stomach. These cells can grow into a tumor. Also called gastric cancer, the disease usually grows slowly over many years. Stomach cancer is most often seen in people in their late 60s through 80s.
Almost all stomach cancers (about 95%) start in the glandular tissue that lines the stomach. The tumor may spread along the stomach wall or may grow directly through the wall and shed cells into the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Once beyond the stomach, cancer can spread to other organs.
Stomach cancers are classified according to the type of tissue they start in.
• Adenocarcinomas -- the most common -- start in the glandular stomach lining.
• Lymphomas develop from lymphocytes, a type of blood cell involved in the immune system.
• Sarcomas involve the connective tissue (muscle, fat, or blood vessels).
• Other types include carcinoid, small cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
• Metastatic cancers from breast cancer, melanoma, and other primary sites of cancer are also seen in the stomach.
If you know the symptoms of stomach cancer, you and your doctor may be able to spot it early, when it’s easiest to treat.
What Causes Stomach Cancer?
Scientists don’t know exactly what makes cancer cells start growing in the stomach. But they do know a few things that can raise your risk for the disease. One of them is infection with a common bacteria, H. pylori, which causes ulcers. Inflammation in your gut called gastritis, a certain type of long-lasting anemia called pernicious anemia, and growths in your stomach called polyps also can make you more likely to get cancer.
Other things that seem to play a role in raising the risk include:
• Smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• A diet high in smoked, pickled, or salty foods
• Drinking alcohol regularly
• Stomach surgery for an ulcer
• Type-A blood
• Epstein-Barr virus infection
• Certain genes
• Working in coal, metal, timber, or rubber industries
• Exposure to asbestos
• Family history of gastric cancer
What Are the Symptoms of Stomach Cancer?
Early on, stomach cancer may cause:
• Indigestion
• Feeling bloated after you eat a meal
• Heartburn
• Slight nausea
• Loss of appetite
Just having indigestion or heartburn after a meal doesn’t mean you have cancer. But if you feel these symptoms a lot, talk to your doctor. They can see if you have other risk factors and test you to look for any problems.
As stomach tumors grow, you may have more serious symptoms, such as:
• Stomach pain
• Blood in your stool
• Vomiting
• Weight loss for no reason
• Trouble swallowing
• Yellowish eyes or skin
• Swelling in your stomach
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Weakness or feeling tired
• Heartburn
How Is Stomach Cancer Diagnosed?
Doctors typically don't do routine screening for stomach cancer. That's mainly because it's not that common, so getting extra tests often isn't helpful. In fact, the number of stomach cancer cases has declined over the past 60 years.
If you're at higher risk for it though, talk to your doctor to see how to keep an eye out for it. You may get some of the same tests that you would get if you had symptoms and were looking for a diagnosis.
To find out if you have stomach cancer, your doctor starts with a physical exam. They'll also ask about your medical history to see if you have any risk factors for stomach cancer or any family members who’ve had it. Then, they might give you some tests, including:
• Blood tests to look for signs of cancer in your body.
• Upper endoscopy. Your doctor will put a thin, flexible tube with a small camera down your throat to look into your stomach.
• Upper GI series test. You’ll drink a chalky liquid with a substance called barium. The fluid coats your stomach and makes it show up more clearly on X-rays.
• CT scan. This is a powerful X-ray that makes detailed pictures of the inside of your body.
Biopsy. Your doctor takes a small piece of tissue from your stomach to look at under a microscope for signs of cancer cells. They might do this during an endoscopy.
