Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is cancer that occurs in the lining of the stomach. The stomach is the muscular sac located in the upper middle of your abdomen, just below your ribs. The stomach receives and holds the food you eat and then helps to break down and digest it.

Almost all gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas (cancers that begin in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids). Other types of gastric cancer are gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and lymphomas.

Stomach cancer is uncommon in the United States, and the number of people diagnosed with the disease each year is declining. Stomach cancer is much more common in other areas of the world, particularly China and Japan. Stomach cancer mostly affects older people, and two-thirds of people who have it are over age 65.

Infection with bacteria called H. pylori is a common cause of stomach cancer.

Gastric cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because there are no early signs or symptoms. This makes treating stomach cancer difficult, but options usually include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

The cause of most stomach cancers is unclear. There is a strong correlation between a diet high in smoked, salted, and pickled foods and stomach cancer. As the use of refrigeration for preserving foods has increased around the world, the rates of stomach cancer have declined.

Infection with the H. pylori bacteria, particularly certain subtypes, is also associated with stomach cancer. The bacteria can convert substances in some foods into chemicals that cause mutations (changes) in the DNA of the cells in the stomach lining.

In general, cancer begins when an error (mutation) occurs in a cell's DNA. The mutation causes the cell to grow and divide at a rapid rate and to continue living when a normal cell would die. The accumulating cancerous cells form a tumor that can invade nearby structures. And cancer cells can break off from the tumor to spread throughout the body.

Risk factors for developing stomach cancer include:

• having an H pylori infection
• having had stomach inflammation
• being male
• eating lots of salted, smoked, or pickled foods
• smoking cigarettes
• having a family history of stomach cancer

See your doctor for ongoing indigestion, stomach pain, feeling full after small meals, nausea, or unexplained weight loss. Seek prompt care for vomiting blood or black, tarry stools.