Stomach Cancer

Highlights

1. Stomach cancer occurs when cancerous cells form in the stomach lining.
2. This type of cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms until the later stages, so it’s often not diagnosed until it’s more advanced.
3. While difficult to detect, treatment for stomach cancer is possible through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Stomach cancer is characterized by a growth of cancerous cells within the lining of the stomach. Also called gastric cancer, this type of cancer is difficult to diagnose because most people typically don’t show symptoms in the earlier stages.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), there will be approximately 24,590 new cases of stomach cancer in 2015. The NCI estimates that stomach cancer makes up only 1.5 percent of new cancer cases in the United States. While stomach cancer is relatively rare compared to other types of cancer, one of the biggest dangers of stomach cancer is the difficulty of diagnosing it. Since stomach cancer usually doesn’t cause any early symptoms, it often goes undiagnosed until after it spreads to other parts of the body, making it more difficult to treat.
Though stomach cancer can be hard to diagnose and treat, it’s important to get the knowledge you need to beat the disease.

Part 2 of 8: Causes

What Causes Stomach Cancer?

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Your stomach (along with the esophagus) is just one part of the upper section of your digestive tract. Your stomach is responsible for digesting food and then moving the nutrients along to the rest of your digestive organs, namely the small and large intestines.
Stomach cancer occurs when normally healthy cells within the upper digestive system become cancerous and grow out of control, forming a tumor. This process happens slowly, so stomach cancer tends to develop over many years.

Part 3 of 8: Risk Factors

Risk Factors of Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer is directly linked to tumors in the stomach. However, there are some factors that might increase your risk of developing these cancerous cells. These risk factors include certain diseases and conditions, such as:

• lymphoma (a group of blood cancers)
• H. pylori bacterial infections (a common stomach infection that can sometimes lead to ulcers)
• tumors in other parts of the digestive system
• stomach polyps (abnormal growths of tissue that form on the lining of the stomach)

Stomach cancer is also more common among:

• older adults (usually those 50 years and older)
• men
• smokers
• those with a family history of the disease
• individuals who are of Asian (especially Korean or Japanese), South American, or Belarusian descent

While your personal medical history can impact your risk of developing stomach cancer, certain lifestyle factors can also play a role. You may be more likely to get stomach cancer if you:

• eat a lot of salty or processed foods
• eat too much meat
• have a history of alcohol abuse
• don’t exercise
• don’t store or cook food properly 

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