Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer or gastric cancer is a rare malignancy that arises from the cells lining the stomach. The cancer cells can invade deep in the wall of the stomach, spread to lymph nodes and nearby organs and metastasize to distant organs.

Symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Persistent nausea and or vomiting
• Persistent indigestion
• Feeling full after eating small amounts of food
• Weight loss
• Decreased appetite
• Black stools

Risk factors:

• Helicobacter pylori infection
• Certain types of chronic inflammation in the stomach
• Genetic predisposition
• Obesity
• Smoking

Diagnosis:

Upper endoscopy: while the patient is sedated the doctor inserts a thin tube with a camera and a light at its tip from the mouth down to the stomach. If a tumor is found, small pieces of tissue can be taken from the stomach (biopsies). The tissue will be examined under the microscope to determine whether cancer cells are present.

Treatment:

The treatment of gastric cancer depends on the stage of the tumor. It may involve a combination of the following:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy