A Study on Stomach Cancer: Meaning, Causes, and Treatment

In gastric cancer (also called stomach cancer), the cancer cells usually begin in the inner wall of the stomach wall and then penetrate deeper into the stomach wall as the cancer progresses. The tumor can grow into nearby organs such as the liver and pancreas. Stomach cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world, but is less common in the United States. The incidence of gastric cancer has steadily declined over the past few decades, possibly due to the widespread use of refrigerators, which have improved access to fresh food without preservatives and bacterial contamination. For better understanding of stomach cancer updates, you can join the Stomach Cancer Support Forum and join chat threads for daily updates.

Cause of Stomach Cancer:

The main cause of stomach cancer is a genetic mutation (change) in the cells of the stomach that causes the cells to grow rapidly and eventually form a tumor. Risk factors that can increase a person's risk of developing stomach cancer include:

Family history smoking obesity Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection Salty diet A diet that doesn't contain a lot of fruits and vegetables

Treatment of Stomach Cancer:

There are several treatments for stomach cancer. In many cases, surgery can be avoided. In the early stages, when the cancer is confined to the superficial (upper) layers of the stomach, the cancer can be removed with an upper endoscopy by a gastroenterologist. In this procedure (submucosal autopsy, or ESD), the tumor is removed from the rest of the stomach wall and removed through the mouth.

When a tumor invades the surface layers of the stomach, surgery is required to remove the stomach and connect the esophagus (the tube through which food flows) to the small intestine for digestion.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill the cancer cells. These treatments are usually combined. There are also many drugs available to treat stomach cancer. Treatment depends on the severity of the cancer and is determined by a doctor after diagnosis.

The outlook for stomach cancer depends on the stage of the cancer. People in the early stages of stomach cancer have a much greater rate of survival than those at a later stage:

• If stomach cancer is found in its earliest stage and can be removed with an endoscope, the five-year survival rate is higher than 90 percent.
• If the cancer is found after it has spread to areas surrounding the stomach, the five-year survival rate is 28 percent.
• If the cancer has spread to areas beyond those surrounding the stomach, the five-year survival rate is 4 percent.

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