Stomach stores food and digests the food you eat with the help of stomach acids produced by stomach lining and the acids also protects from bacterial infections. Gastric cancer or stomach cancer can result in growth of tumour inside the stomach or it may cause ulcers in the inner lining of the stomach. Sometimes, cancer can be seen without the formation of a tumorous growth and this form of cancer is called diffuse tumor. The growth of tumor may even spread to other body parts such as liver, lungs and esophagus.
1. Adenocarcinomas: Gastric adenocarcinoma is found on the gastric walls and there are two types of gastric adenocarcinoma, which includes diffuse type and intestinal type. Most of the cases of stomach cancer have adenocarcinoma and this cancer starts in the inner linings of the stomach.
2. Squamous cell carcinomas: It is mostly found on the stomach wall.
3. Carcinoid tumours: It is a kind of tumor of neuro-endocrine system and the tumor may affect stomach.
4. Infections caused by Helicobacter pylori: The most common cause of stomach cancer is infection by Helicobacter pylori and it is not caused by any kind of diet. The infection from H. Pylori is responsible for stomach cancer- in sixty five to eighty percent.
1. Infection in stomach lining, gastritis, indigestion and ulcers.
2. Taking diet high in salt content and eating food made using preservatives such as nitrosamines, mostly found in ham and bacon, may cause stomach cancer.
3. Family history or somebody in relation having stomach cancer increases the chances of developing stomach cancer.
4. Smoking and taking alcohol may cause stomach related problems.
5. Atrophic gastritis is a condition, in which, the stomach lining wastes away and it has also been related to stomach cancer.
Stomach cancer is most commonly found in men above the age of 70 and it is most commonly found in men from Asia and Africa.
Some of the common symptoms are:
1. Feeling the stomach full, after taking small amount of food
2. Stomach pain
3. Indigestion
4. Vomiting
5. Heartburn
6. Nausea
7. Weight loss
8. Dark colour blood in faces
9. Anaemia
1. Surgery: The most common treatment is surgery, in which, the infected part of stomach is removed and it may even include the removal of pancreas and intestine.
2. Radiation therapy: The patient's stomach may be passed through a high radiation field, which inhibits the growth of tumor and the radiation therapy is done along with surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy also helps in reducing pain in stomach.
3. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy has been used to treat, but the effect of chemotherapy is not very clear and research is being conducted to find out a way to put the medicine directly into the stomach of the patient.
Eating healthy fresh diet rich in fibres and taking lots of water, may reduce the changes of stomach cancer in patients.
