Stomach Cancer - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

The stomach is one of the essential body parts connected to several internal organs. Stomach cancer or gastric cancer develops cancer cells within the inner lining of the stomach walls, thereby penetrating deep within these walls in advanced stages. Furthermore, it can also involve the nearby organs, including the pancreas and liver.

Are you concerned about this disease and want to learn more about it? Then, read till the end of this article to know its causes, symptoms and treatment.

A majority of stomach cancers start from the glandular tissue lining the stomach. The tumour spreads along your stomach wall or grows directly through it. They then shed cells into your bloodstream or lymphatic system. This cancer tends to develop slowly over the years. The early symptoms of stomach cancer are therefore difficult to diagnose. Cancer's types and locations mainly determine its symptoms and treatment procedure. Once these cancer cells develop, they start spreading outside the stomach to nearby organs.

Stomach cancer is most common in people older than 55 years of age. However, people between 60-70 years are commonly diagnosed with this cancer. Furthermore, men are at a higher risk of developing this cancer than women. Additionally, if you have a family history of stomach cancer, there are higher chances of developing this disease.

If you wonder about the various types of stomach cancer, the following section will give you an outline.

• Adenocarcinomas: This is a common type of stomach cancer developing in the mucus-producing glandular cells of your body. It can occur in the glands of any organ.
• Lymphomas: It is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a germ-fighting network of your body. It mainly affects your lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow.
• Sarcomas: It is a type of tumour developing in the connective tissues, including bone, cartilage or muscle. These tumours can be both benign and malignant.
• Metastatic cancers: This type of cancer spreads from where it started to other parts of your body. The cancer cells break away from the tumour and travel through your bloodstream. 
• Other types: Apart from that, some types of cancer, including small cell carcinoma, carcinoid, and squamous cell carcinoma, are commonly seen in the stomach.

The symptoms of stomach cancer hardly start showing in the initial stages, making it more challenging to diagnose. These symptoms also differ from one patient to another based on stomach cancer. However, the following symptoms are most common in all types.

• Difficulty swallowing
• Heartburn
• Loss of appetite resulting in unintentional weight loss
• Weakness and fatigue
• Stomach pain
• Bloating
• Vomiting blood (in advanced stages)

It is advisable to visit your physician immediately if you observe such symptoms of stomach cancer in your body.

According to some researchers, a genetic mutation (change) in the stomach cells contribute to a leading cause of stomach cancer. This results in growing these cells rapidly, eventually causing a tumour. Apart from this, the other risk factors driving this cancer can include the following.

• Genetics and medical history: People with parents, children or other direct blood relatives might face higher risks of getting this cancer. Moreover, other conditions such as hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), Lynch syndrome, and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) can also increase the risks of stomach cancer.
• Unhealthy practices: Having harmful addictions such as tobacco consumption often becomes a reason for stomach cancer. Moreover, if you regularly consume food preserved for long by drying, smoking, salting or pickling and daily consumption of food with high salt content also adds to the risk.
• Previous surgeries: People have a higher risk of developing stomach cancer if they had previous surgeries such as stomach surgery, pernicious anaemia, or achlorhydria.
• Obesity: Obese people have a higher chance of developing this cancer. Failure to maintain a healthy weight causes gastric issues, resulting in stomach cancer.

If you are wondering about the various stages of stomach cancer, it depends on this cancer type. For dividing these stages, doctors use the TNM system.

• T: Tumour
• N: Node
• M: Metastasis

Usually, the procedure for treating stomach cancer depends on the type of cancer in a patient. However, the following types of treatments are commonly followed for this cancer.

• Surgery: It is the process of removing a tumour from your body and some healthy tissues surrounding the affected area. When diagnosed early, doctors usually suggest a non-surgical method of endoscopy for removing this tumour from your body. However, if cancer spreads to your stomach and lymph nodes, surgery helps remove it. Gastrectomy is commonly used in this regard.
• Radiation Therapy: This therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy the body's cancer cells. It consists of a specific number of treatments over time. First, doctors use an external machine to send external-beam radiation therapy. This therapy helps shrink the size of the tumour or destroy any remaining cancer cells after a surgery.
• Medication: Systematic medication is often used as a way of treating this cancer. Oncologists administer the medicines using an intravenous (IV) tube through your veins or prescribe pills to swallow . Several medications are available for this cancer, but they come with different side effects.
• Chemotherapy: It is a process of using medicines for killing cancer cells from growing and dividing. Doctors set a specific number of cycles over a set period. This therapy helps destroy the cancer cells or reduce the tumour’s growth. It happens mostly after surgery. Drugs such as Cisplatin, Oxaliplatin, and Fluorouracil are commonly used for this therapy.
• Targeted Therapy: This type of therapy targets cancer’s specific genes, proteins, or tissues contributing to the growth and survival of cancer inside the body. Doctors usually run tests to identify these genes and proteins and suggest treatments accordingly.
• Immunotherapy: This therapy effectively boosts your body's natural defences to fight cancer. In addition, it helps use materials for improving and restoring function of one’s immune system. When patients reach advanced stages, pembrolizumab is an effective option when chemotherapy fails.

Now that you know all about this cancer, you must be wondering how to prevent stomach cancer. While there are no specific ways to do so, you can follow the measures mentioned below to lower the risks of this cancer.

• Healthy weight: As obesity is a significant risk factor for this cancer, maintaining a healthy weight might shield individuals against it.
• Daily diet: If you wonder “how to prevent stomach cancer naturally?” then having a healthy diet can also be helpful. You can incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet to avoid risks of this cancer. Avoiding salty and smoked food can also help you protect yourself against this cancer.
• Smoking habits: You should quit smoking or reduce it to avoid being at the risk of developing this cancer.  

Therefore, stomach cancer is a severe and life-threatening disease, especially as its symptoms hardly show in an early stage. This article showed you all the causes, symptoms and treatment methods for this cancer. Therefore, it is essential to keep track of your health conditions and avoid such activities that increase your chances of getting this cancer.