Stomach cancer
The stomach cancer , also known as gastric cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the tissues of the stomach. The stomach is a J-shaped organ located in the upper abdomen where food is broken down (digestion). Food reaches the stomach through a tube called the esophagus that connects the mouth to the stomach. After passing through the stomach, partially digested food pass into the small intestine and then the large intestine or colon.
Because cancer can be found in the stomach
Sometimes cancer can be found in the stomach for a long time and grow considerably before it causes symptoms. In the early stages of stomach cancer, the patient may suffer from indigestion and upset stomach, bloated feeling after eating, have mild nausea, loss of appetite or heartburn.
In the later stages of stomach cancer, the patient may have blood in the stool, vomiting, weight loss or stomach pain. The probability that the patient will develop cancer of the stomach is higher if you have had a stomach infection caused by Helicobacter pylori, or is elderly, if male, smoking cigarettes or drink is often a dry food diet and seawater. Other factors that increase the chance of getting stomach cancer are a stomach disorder called atrophic gastritis, Menetrier’s disease, a blood disorder called pernicious anemia, or a hereditary condition of growths (polyps) in the large intestine.
Stomach Cancer Symptoms
If there are symptoms, the doctor may order x-rays of the upper gastrointestinal (also known as upper GI series). For this test, the patient drinks a liquid containing barium, allowing the stomach is seen more easily on the radiograph. Generally, this test is done in the doctor’s office or hospital radiology department. The doctor may also look into the stomach with a thin, lighted tube called a gastroscope. This procedure, known as gastroscopy, detects the majority of gastric cancer . To perform this test, the gastroscope is inserted through the mouth and goes into the stomach. The doctor puts a local anesthetic (a drug that causes loss of sensation for a short period) in the throat or other medicine administered to relax before the test to not feel pain. If the doctor sees abnormal tissue, may have to take a small piece to observe under a microscope to determine whether cancer cells. This procedure is called a biopsy. Typically, biopsies are done during gastroscopy. The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the stage that is the cancer of the stomach (if you are in the stomach or if it has spread to other parts of the body) and general health status patient.