Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer, or gastric cancer, is cancer of the stomach. In the majority of cases, stomach cancer is an adenocarcinoma, which forms in the innermost layer of the stomach. More than 21,000 new cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Stomach cancer is more common in men, and nearly 70% of patients are over age 65. Additional risk factors for stomach cancer include smoking; a diet rich in salted, smoked, or pickled foods; and a family history. Individuals who have had the helicobacter pylori bacterial infection (the primary cause of ulcers) are also at an increased risk. Early stomach cancer usually does not present symptoms, but later-stage symptoms include difficulty swallowing, bloody stool, weight loss, jaundice, and nausea and vomiting. The stages of stomach cancer range from zero to IV, depending on tumor size and how widely it has spread. Stomach cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.