What is stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer is a type of cancer that emanates from the mucus-producing cells that line the stomach. It is also known as adenocarcinoma. The rate of cancer in the main part of the stomach has been falling worldwide for the past 10 years.

Also, during this same period cancer on the top part of the stomach called cardia gets in contact with the lower end of the swallowing tube called esophagus has become much more rampant. This particular area of the stomach is known as the gastroesophageal junction.

Furthermore, stomach cancer is rampant among men than women. The stomach cancer rate is high among people over age 50. Most people diagnosed with this type of cancer are between late 60s-80s. In the U.S., stomach cancer is predominant among Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders than the non-Hispanic whites.

Also, in the world, this disease is less common in Western and Northern Africa, North and South Central Asia but more common in Japan, Southern, and Eastern Europe, China, and South and Central America.

Infection associated with Helicobacter pylori

A Helicobacter pylori bacterium is known to be the main cause of stomach cancer, especially cancers around the distal (lower) part of the stomach. Being infected with this germ for long inside your stomach may bring about inflammation known as chronic atrophic gastritis and pre-cancerous altering of the inner lining of the stomach.

Consequently, it is known that people with stomach cancer stand a higher chance of being infected with Helicobacter pylori than people without this cancer. Also, some people may still have this germ in their stomach but never develop cancer.

stomach cancer
Stomach lymphoma

People with a certain type of lymphoma of the stomach called MALT lymphoma (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) stand a higher chance of having adenocarcinoma of the stomach. This occurs because mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the stomach is caused by being infected with Helicobacter pylori bacteria.

What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

The following are the signs and symptoms of stomach cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer:

Feeling bloated after eating
Chronic heartburn
Having anemia
Consistent nauseating feeling
Incessant vomiting with little or no blood
Feeling of fatigue
Swelling around the abdomen
Loss of appetite
Feeling full after consuming small amounts of food
Having severe indigestion
Presence of blood in the stool
Stomach ache
Unknown weight loss
When can I see a doctor?

If you experience the above signs and symptoms, quickly visit your doctor. Your doctor will then check for the more likely causes of these signs and symptoms first before requesting you to undergo some test.

What are the causes of stomach cancer?

There are many known risk factors for stomach cancer, but how these factors cause cells within the stomach lining to become cancerous is not well known. This is an important subject in ongoing researches today.

Also, there are some changes perceived to be pre-cancerous can occur in the lining of the stomach.

In the aspect of chronic atrophic gastritis, the normal glands of the stomach can either be decreased or absent. Some degree of inflammation can also occur like the stomach cells being destroyed by cells of the immune system. Atrophic gastritis is usually caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. The autoimmune reaction can also bring about stomach cancer. Some individuals with this medical condition go on to have pernicious anemia or other related stomach problems, including cancer. But how this condition might lead to cancer is not actually known.

Furthermore, intestinal metaplasia can also bring about pre-cancerous change. Here, the normal stomach lining is replaced with cells that closely resemble the cells that mostly line the intestine. Usually, people with this condition do have chronic atrophic gastritis as well. The process of how and why this change occurs and leads to stomach cancer is not well known. It might also be similar to Helicobacter pylori infection.

Read more at https://relhealth.com/stomach-cancer-new-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/