Stomach Cancer

Summary

The stomach is an organ between the esophagus and the small intestine. It mixes food with stomach acid and helps digest protein. Stomach cancer mostly affects older people – two-thirds of people who have it are over age 65. Your risk of getting it is also higher if you:

  • Have had a Helicobacter pylori infection
  • Have had stomach inflammation
  • Are a man
  • Eat lots of salted, smoked, or pickled foods
  • Smoke cigarettes
  • Have a family history of stomach cancer

It is hard to diagnose stomach cancer in its early stages. Indigestion and stomach discomfort can be symptoms of early cancer, but other problems can cause the same symptoms. In advanced cases, there may be blood in your stool, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, or trouble swallowing. Doctors diagnose stomach cancer with a physical exam, blood and imaging tests, an endoscopy, and a biopsy.

Because it is often found late, it can be hard to treat stomach cancer. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

Stomach Cancer

American Academy of Family Physicians

What Is Stomach Cancer?

National Cancer Institute

What Is Stomach Cancer?

American Cancer Society

Stomach Cancer Diagnosis

National Cancer Institute

Stomach Cancer Screening

National Cancer Institute

Stomach Cancer Stages

National Cancer Institute

Tests for Stomach Cancer

American Cancer Society

Tumor Marker Tests

National Library of Medicine

Upper GI Endoscopy

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Upper GI Series

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Drugs Approved for Stomach (Gastric) Cancer

National Cancer Institute

Gastrectomy - series

Medical Encyclopedia

Stomach Cancer Treatment

National Cancer Institute

Stomach Cancer Treatment by Stage

National Cancer Institute

Surgery for Stomach Cancer

American Cancer Society

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