Dr. Pradeep Jain Fortis Hospital-Stomach cancer is cancer
that starts in the stomach. Several types of cancer can occur in
the stomach. The most common type is called adenocarcinoma. It starts from
one of the common cell types found in the lining of the stomach. Adenocarcinoma
is a common cancer of the digestive tract. It is not common in
the United States. But it is common in eastern Asia, parts of South America,
and eastern and central Europe. It occurs most often in men over age 40. The
number of people in the United States who develop this cancer has decreased
over the years. Experts think this decrease may be in part because people are
eating less salted, cured, and smoked foods.
Likelihood
of getting cancer:You are more likely to get
diagnosed with gastric cancer if you:
* Have a diet low in fruits and
vegetables
* Have a family history
of gastric cancer
* Have
an infection of
the stomach by bacteria called Helicobacter pylori
* Had a polyp larger
than 2 centimetres in your stomach
*
Have inflammation and swelling of the stomach for a long
time (chronic atrophic gastritis)
* Have pernicious anemia
* History of Active and Passive
Smoking
Symptoms:
Symptoms
of stomach cancer may include any of the following:
* Abdominal fullness or pain,
which may occur after a small meal
* Dark stools
* Difficulty swallowing, which
becomes worse over time
* Excessive belching
* General decline in health
* Loss of appetite
* Nausea
* Vomiting blood
* Weakness or fatigue
* Weight loss
Exams
and Tests:
Diagnosis is often delayed
because symptoms may not occur in the early stages of the disease. Or, patients
may self-treat symptoms that gastric cancer has in common with other,
less serious disorders (such as bloating, gas, heartburn, and fullness).
Tests that can help
diagnose gastric cancer include:
* Complete blood
count (CBC) to check for anemia.
* Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
with biopsy to examine the stomach tissue. EGD involves
putting a tiny camera down the oesophagus (food tube) to look at the
inside of the stomach.
* Stool test to check
for blood in the stools.
Treatment
Surgery to remove
the stomach (gastrectomy) is the only treatment that can
cure adenocarcinoma of the stomach. Radiation
therapy and chemotherapy may help. Chemotherapy and
radiation therapy after surgery may improve the chance of a cure.
For persons who cannot have
surgery, chemotherapy or radiation may improve symptoms and may prolong
survival, but will likely not cure the cancer. For some patients, a surgical
bypass procedure may relieve symptoms.
Prevention
Screening programmes are
successful in detecting disease in the early stages in parts of the world
where the risk of stomach cancer is much higher than in the United
States. The value of screening in the United States and other countries with
lower rates of stomach cancer is not clear.
The following may help reduce
your risk of stomach cancer:
* Do not smoke.
* Eat healthy foods rich in
fruits and vegetables.
* Take medicines to
treat reflux disease (heartburn), if you have it.
* Take antibiotics if you are
diagnosed with H. pylori infection
Dr. Pradeep Jain Fortis is one of the few surgeons in India who are specialized in Advance Laparoscopic GI, Bariatric Surgery and GI Onco. Dr Pradeep Jain is an experienced surgeon with strong believe in the holistic approach towards the patients.
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