Cancer

Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, occurs in the wall and lining of the stomach. According to the American Cancer Society, about 21,500 new cases of stomach cancer were reported in 2008. Stomach cancer was once a leading cause of cancer deaths, but has recently become less common.

There is no specific reason for the decline in the number of new cases; however, doctors believe it may be linked to refrigeration use for storage of food. Before refrigeration, people preserved food by smoking, salting, or pickling. Large amounts of nitrates and nitrites are found in these types of preserved foods, and these nitrates and nitrites can be converted into cancer-causing compounds in the stomach.

Humans infected with the bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are at higher risk for developing stomach cancer as well. H. pylori lives in the stomach’s mucous layer and has only recently been linked to stomach cancer. Because of this, doctors are still studying the ways the bacteria are transmitted to humans as well as the reasons for its association with stomach cancer.

The development of stomach cancer tends to be slow, occurring over many years. Many early-stage symptoms go unnoticed and undetected. However, when the cancer is advanced, there are several signs and symptoms including:

- weakness and fatigue
- unintended weight loss
- lack of appetite
- general discomfort in the abdomen
- abdominal discomfort, especially after eating
- feeling full after meals, even when eating is normal
- nausea
- vomiting, with or without blood

There are different types of stomach cancer.

Adenocarcinomas account for 95 percent of all stomach cancers. It is found in the stomach’s innermost lining. Lymphoma is an aggressive stomach cancer found on the immune system tissues in the stomach wall. Carcinoid tumors account for a small percentage of stomach cancer and originate in the hormone-producing cells of the stomach. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors, also called GISTs, are rare tumors that can develop in other places besides the stomach; however, the most common location for GISTs is indeed the stomach.

By: Erik Hambrick

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