What is Gastric Cancer?
Stomach cancer is characterized by a growth of cancerous cells within the lining of the stomach. Also called gastric cancer, this type of cancer is difficult to diagnose because most people typically don’t show symptoms in the earlier stages.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates there’ll be approximately 28,000 new cases of stomach cancer in 2017. The NCI also estimates that stomach cancer is 1.7 percent of new cancer cases in the United States.
While stomach cancer is relatively rare compared to other types of cancer, one of the biggest dangers of this disease is the difficulty of diagnosing it. Since stomach cancer usually doesn’t cause any early symptoms, it often goes undiagnosed until after it spreads to other parts of the body. This makes it more difficult to treat.
Though stomach cancer can be hard to diagnose and treat, it’s important to get the knowledge you need to beat the disease.
Symptoms:
During the early stages of Gastric Cancer, you probably won’t experience any symptoms. As your cancer progresses, you may experience:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Frequent heartburn
- Loss of appetite, sometimes accompanied by sudden weight loss
- Constant bloating
- Early satiety (feeling full after eating only a small amount)
- Bloody stools
- Jaundice
- Excessive fatigue
- Stomach pain, which may be worse after meals
Diagnosis:
Since people with stomach cancer rarely show symptoms in the early stages, the disease is often not diagnosed until it’s more advanced.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor will first perform a physical exam to check for any abnormalities. They may also order a blood test, including a test for the presence of H. pylori bacteria.
More diagnostic tests will need to be done if your doctor believes that you show signs of stomach cancer. Diagnostic tests specifically look for suspected tumors and other abnormalities in the stomach and esophagus. These tests may include:
an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
a biopsy
imaging tests, such as CT scans and X-rays
Treatment of Gastric Cancer
Traditionally, stomach cancer is treated with one or more of the following:
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation Therapy
Immunotherapy
