Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) develops when normal healthy cells in the stomach lining become abnormal and grow out of control. The stomach is part of the digestive tract that moves food and nutrients through to the intestines after you swallow it. Cancer cells may spread to nearby tissues and organs if they continue to grow.
The most common type of stomach cancer is adenocarcinoma, which starts in the cells that line the inside of the stomach. Less common types of stomach cancer include lymphoma of the stomach, which starts in the lymphatic tissue (tissue that drains fluid away from the stomach and helps fight infection), and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which start in special nerve cells that are found in the wall of the stomach and other digestive organs. Also less common are neuroendocrine cancers, which begin in cells that produce hormones in the stomach and other digestive organs, and soft tissue sarcomas, which start in connective tissue like muscle or fat.
In the early stages, most people with stomach cancer can be cured. If the cancer is in only the lining of the stomach, surgery to remove it and possibly nearby lymph nodes usually cures the disease. But if the cancer has reached deeper layers of the stomach, or to nearby tissues and organs, it is more difficult to treat.
Different types of stomach cancer have different survival rates and prognoses. For example, with adenocarcinoma, the 5-year survival rate is 69.9 percent for patients in stage 1 who aren’t experiencing any symptoms and have only the cancer in the lining of their stomachs. But when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate drops to 5.5 percent.
How a person feels and the symptoms they experience depend on how far the cancer has grown. Doctors use tests to find out how far the cancer has spread, a process called staging. During staging, doctors look at how far the cancer has grown into the layer of the stomach that lines the esophagus, the spleen, the colon, the liver and other organs in the abdomen. They also look for how the cancer has spread within the stomach wall and to nearby lymph nodes.
People who have stomach cancer can help lower their risk by eating a healthy diet, getting regular checkups and treating conditions that cause symptoms like heartburn or stomach pain, such as ulcers or gastritis, promptly. They should also avoid smoking or using tobacco products. If they are overweight, they should work with their health care providers to reach and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, getting enough vitamins C and A, especially from fruits and vegetables, is important to prevent cancer in the stomach and other organs of the digestive tract. People with a family history of stomach cancer should talk to their health care providers about their personal risk for the disease. They may be eligible for clinical trials that are testing new treatments for the disease.
