Another article about what is cancer…
Stomach cancer is common worldwide and affects all races, is more common in men than in women, and has its peak age range between 40 and 60 years of age. The stomach cancer mortality is higher in Japan and Chile, probably because of different diets in those countries that are less dependent on red meat.
In the past 25 years the incidence of stomach cancer in the western world has decreased by 50% and the resulting mortality rate is less than a third of what it used to be, but in less developed countries remains a major cause of death probably because in these countries at the time of the illness is diagnosed (usually by a barium meal), stomach cancer is at an advanced stage.
TYPES OF STOMACH CANCER
There are several different types of stomach cancer, some of which are very rare. The most common types of stomach cancer start in the glandular cells of the stomach lining (adenocarcinomas), this is where stomach acid and digestive enzymes are, and where most stomach cancers start. When stomach cancer is more advanced, it can travel through the bloodstream and spread to organs like the liver, lungs and bones. Stomach cancers that begin in lymphatic tissue (lymphoma), stomach, muscles (sarcoma) or in the supporting tissues of the organs of the digestive system (gastrointestinal stromal tumors) are less common and are treated in different ways.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Early clues to stomach cancer are chronic dyspepsia and epigastric discomfort, followed in the later stages of weight loss, anorexia, feeling of fullness after eating, anemia and fatigue. Blood in stool may also be present and whether the cancer is located in the cardia (top) vomiting.
CAUSATION
The exact cause of stomach cancer is unknown, although the presence of Helicopter pylori bacterium seems to be an important factor. Predisposing factors include environmental influences such as smoking and high alcohol consumption. Because stomach cancer is more common among those with family history and with people with type A blood, genetic factors are also involved. Dietary factors, particularly methods of food preservation such as canning, smoking or salting also have an influence on the prevalence of stomach cancer.
DIAGNOSIS
Stomach cancer is diagnosed through an examination that may include an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series, endoscopy or gastroscopy in a thin, flexible tube is passed down the throat so the doctor can see in the stomach, esophagus and the top of the bowel barium meal and barium swallow. Because stomach cancer can spread to the liver, pancreas and other organs near the stomach and the lungs, the doctor may order a CT, a PET scan, an endoscopic ultrasound or other tests to control these areas.
Stomach cancer can spread (metastasize) to the esophagus or small intestine, and may extend through the stomach wall to lymph nodes and nearby organs. Metastasis occurs in 80-90% of individuals with stomach cancer, with a five-year survival rate of 75% in those diagnosed in early and less than 30% of those diagnosed in late stages.
TREATMENT
Although stomach cancer may be treated with surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, in most cases surgery is the treatment of choice. Even in patients whose disease is not considered surgically curable, resection offers a palliative effect and improves the potential benefits of chemotherapy.
The nature and extent of the cancer determines what kind of surgery is more appropriate. Common surgical procedures include partial and complete removal of the stomach.
Antiemetics can control nausea, which increases with advancing cancer. In more advanced stages, sedatives and tranquilizers may be needed to control anxiety. Narcotics are commonly necessary to control the server and continued pain.
In some cases of advanced stomach cancer, a laser beam directed through an endoscope can vaporize most of the tumor and relieve obstruction without an operation.
PROGNOSIS
Stomach cancer is curable if detected early, but most people do not seek medical help until the disease is advanced, possibly because symptoms occur late and are often vague and nonspecific. Eating fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidant vitamins (like A and C) appears to decrease the risk of stomach cancer. The rate of stomach cancer is about doubled in smokers for smoking cessation is essential.
In the United States and most of the Western world, the 5-year survival rate ranges from 5% to 15%. In Japan, where stomach cancer often is diagnosed early, the survival rate at 5 years is 50%. Survival rates five years for most types of advanced stomach cancer range from approximately 20% for those with regional disease to almost zero for those with distant metastases.
Treatment for metastatic stomach cancer can relieve symptoms and sometimes prolong survival, but long remissions are uncommon. The survival of inoperable stomach cancer usually only a few months without treatment. With chemotherapy, median survival is about 12 months. If cancer is found before it has spread, five-year relative survival rate is about 61%.
If you are looking for more articles trying to understand what is cancer, please browse the site
