Stomach Cancer
What Is It?
Stomach cancer is now the 7th commonest cancer amongst adults in the UK. There were about 8,400 cases diagnosed in 2003. It is nearly twice as common in men as it is in women.Age is a significant risk factor for stomach cancer, it becomes more common with increasing age. 9 out of 10 cases are diagnosed in people over 55 years old.
A diet high in very salty foods increases risk of stomach cancer. Stomach cancer levels are very high in Japan where very salty pickled foods are popular. A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables seems to reduce the risk of stomach cancer. This may be because these foods contain high levels of antioxidant vitamins.
People who smoke have twice the risk of stomach cancer compared to non smokers.
There is a condition called FAP - familial adenomatous polyposis that may increase risk of stomach cancer. This is an inherited condition (you are born with it) where many polyps grow throughout the digestive system. It is a known risk factor for bowel cancer.
Having blood type A has been shown statistically to be linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer. As blood type is inherited, it may be another genetic factor that is at work.
Stomach cancer has also been linked to medical X-ray exposure in the past. These days, the amount of radiation used in a regular X-ray is much lower than it used to be.
Symptoms
Common symptoms are:Indigestion, acidity and burping
Feeling full
Pain
Feeling or being sick
Difficulty in swallowing
Bleeding or tiredness and breathlessness because you have lost blood
Blood clots
Weight loss (usually a symptom of a more advanced cancer)
Treatment
The main treatments used are:Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
As with many types of cancer, the earlier your cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to get it under control and possibly cure it. If your cancer is diagnosed before it has spread, you will almost certainly have surgery. The surgery for stomach cancer is very major. So it is important for your doctor to make sure you are fit enough for a big operation.
You are most likely to have chemotherapy on its own if your cancer is advanced and has already spread. The treatment can often relieve symptoms and may slow your cancer down.
If you have a stage 2 or 3 cancer, you might be offered chemotherapy before or after surgery. Doctors have been investigating giving chemotherapy with surgery to help lower the risk of the cancer coming back later. Results have been encouraging and this is now standard treatment in some centres.