Stomach cancer (gastric cancer)
What is stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer is caused by cell changes in the lining of the stomach and may cause bleeding. It is more common in men than in women. Its occurrence has seen a remarkable decrease in the last 40 years.
What causes stomach cancer?
- Conditions such as gastritis, pernicious anaemia, gastric polyps and gastric ulcers are believed to be contributing factors.
- Injury to the stomach's mucosal lining.
- Diet is thought to play a role.
- Heredity is thought to be a contributing factor.
What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?
Symptoms usually only develop once the disease has spread beyond the stomach. The sooner the cancer is detected, the better the survival chances. Symptoms of stomach cancer include:
- Loss of appetite.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Pain when eating, as the tumour grows through the stomach wall.
- Persistent indigestion.
- Vomiting, including vomiting blood, due to obstruction of the oesophagus (passage between the mouth and stomach) by the tumour.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Feeling full after eating very little.
- Blood in the stool.
What is the treatment for stomach cancer?
As with all cancers, treatment of stomach cancer depends on the location of the tumour, its size and whether it has spread. If the disease is diagnosed before it reaches the lymph nodes and before it reaches the layer of muscle beneath the lining of the stomach, it is curable in 90% of cases. If the tumour is hindering the person's ability to ingest, feeding tubes are used to prevent malnutrition and dehydration.
Surgery may be required to remove part of the stomach. In some cases the accompanying lymph nodes have to be removed. More advanced tumours require radiation therapy.
Although chemotherapy is used to treat stomach cancer, it is not used frequently since only a minority of patients are suitable for this treatment.
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