Stomach (Gastric) Cancer

What is the stomach cancer?

The stomach lies in the upper part of the abdomen, just below the ribs. It has an importantrole in food digestion. The food that we eat passes down the oesophagus (gullet) and into thestomach. The stomach produces acid and enzymes to help digest the food. Once brokendown, the food then passes into the small intestine for further digestion.Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, develops when the cells lining the stomachwall become abnormal and grow uncontrollably. The cancer can grow in any part of thestomach and if not removed, it can spread to surrounding lymph nodes or other organs of thebody, namely the liver, lungs, bones and ovaries (in women).

What causes stomach cancer?

Doctors are not sure what causes stomach cancer and why certain people develop thisdisease. However, there are certain risk factors that increase the chance of developingstomach cancer.These include:

• Ageing. Stomach cancer is more common in older people• Gender. Stomach cancer is two times more common in men than women

• Diet. There is a strong correlation between diet high in smoked, pickled and saltedfoods and stomach cancer. Eating plenty of fruit and green vegetables can reduce therisk

• Smoking. Smokers have a higher chance of developing stomach cancer

• Pernicious anaemia, which causes a lack of vitamin B12, increase the risk of stomachcancer

• Chronic infection of stomach with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori may lead to aslightly increase risk of stomach cancer

• Family history of stomach cancer• Previous partial removal of stomach for whatever reason

What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

When the cancer is small or in the early stage, there can be no signs or symptoms. Howeverthere are some alarming symptoms that require further evaluation. These include:

• Upper abdominal pain or discomfort

• Indigestion

• Sense of fullness after eating even a small meal

• Weight loss or loss of appetite

• Persistent vomiting

• Passing of black, tarry stools

• Unexplained anaemia

• Feeling tired and lethargy

How is stomach cancer diagnosed?

Once you are suspected of having stomach cancer, your doctor will arrange for you toundergo a gastroscopy (endoscopy), where a thin, flexible telescope (gastroscope) is insertedinto your stomach to look for any suspicious growth. If present, your doctor will take sometissues and send them to a pathologist who will examine them under a microscope. If canceris confirmed, the next step is to stage the disease, usually with CT scan, to determine if it hasspread. Staging also helps the doctor to decide which treatment option is best for you.

How is stomach cancer treated?

Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy (and sometimes radiotherapy). Thetreatment recommended by your doctor will depend on the stage of the disease and generalhealth.

Surgery

Surgery involves removal of the affected part of the stomach or occasionally the whole of thestomach. In the early stage of the disease, surgery can achieve a cure. Even in advancedstage where a cure is not achievable, surgery may still be required to improve the patient’ssymptoms for example to remove blockage caused by the cancer.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Depending on the stage of the disease, one or a combination of the abovementionedtreatment may be needed. Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cellsand stopped them multiplying whereas as radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation beam toachieve similar effects.Sometimes chemotherapy or radiotherapy may also be required after surgery. This is alsoknown as adjuvant therapy. The purpose is to kill cancer cells that may have escaped fromthe primary tumour.

What is the prognosis (outlook)?

If stomach cancer is diagnosed early (before it grows through the wall of the stomach orspread to the lymph nodes or other organs of the body), cure is achievable with successfulsurgery. However, without treatment, the cancer will grow bigger or spread to other parts ofthe body. In these instances, a cure becomes less likely. Treatment will then aim to slowdown the progression of the disease or improve the quality of life of the patient.

About the Author

Consultant General Surgeon & Colorectal Surgeon

Nobel Surgery Centre

www.nobelspecialists.com

info@nobelspecialists.com

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