Stomach Cancer
What is stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer is a disease in which cells are cancerous (malignant) in the tissues of the stomach. The stomach is a J-shaped organ that is located in the upper abdomen where food is decomposed (digested).
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 into the large intestine or colon.
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 more advanced stages of stomach cancer, the patient may have blood in stool, vomiting, weight loss or stomach pain. The probability that the patient will develop cancer of the stomach is higher has had a stomach infection caused by Helicobacter pylori, or if you are elderly, if male, if you smoke cigarettes or drink often a dry food diet salt. Other factors that increase the chance of getting stomach cancer are a stomach disorder called atrophic gastritis, Retriever’s disease, a blood disorder called pernicious anemia or hereditary condition of growths (polyps) in the large intestine.
If there are symptoms, the doctor may order x-rays of the upper gastrointestinal tract (also called upper GI series). For this test, the patient drinks a liquid containing barium, which allows the stomach is observed more easily on the radiograph. Generally, this test is performed in the doctor’s office or hospital radiology department.
The doctor may also look inside the stomach with a thin, lighted tube called a gastroscope. This procedure, known as gastroscopy, detects the majority of stomach cancers. To perform this test, the gastroscope is inserted through the mouth and goes into the stomach. The doctor put 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 for observation under a microscope to determine if cancer cells. This procedure is called a biopsy. Usually, biopsies are done during gastroscopy.
The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the stage when the cancer (whether it is in the stomach or if it has spread to other parts of the body) and the overall health of the patient.