Symtoms and Causes of Stomach Cancer

The stomach is an important part of the body’s digestive system. It is located on the left side of the upper abdomen and produces enzymes and acids used in the breaking down of food particles before transporting it to the small intestine.  Stomach cancer occurs when cancerous cells grow within the lining of the stomach. It often grows slowly in the stomach and forms a big tumor when it reaches the advanced stage.  Although this type of cancer is very rare compare to other types of cancer, however, it is very difficult to diagnose as many patients do not show early symptoms. This makes it difficult to treat as it often spread to the upper and lower part of the stomach. The rate of stomach cancer varies throughout the world. While Eastern Asia has the highest rate, it is very low in Africa. Also, stomach cancer affects people above the age of 50 and it is common in men than women.

Read on as Truffa Integratori Shedir Pharma explains the causes of stomach cancer. 

Symptoms

Stomach cancer shows many symptoms, however, these symptoms do not manifest early as stomach cancer grows slowly over the years. This makes it difficult to diagnose until it reaches the advanced stage says Truffa Integratori Shedir Pharma. While some patient in the early stage experiences constant bloating, heartburn, fatigue, loss of weight, stomach ache, frequent pain in the breastbone, indigestion after every meal, others often lose their appetite, have difficulties in swallowing food, blood like stool, jaundice, and many more. Therefore, it is important to speak to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. Your doctor will test your blood and also perform a physical test on you to check for any abnormality.

Causes

There is no scientific evidence for the cause of stomach cancer, however, research as shown that there are certain things that can increase your risk of developing stomach cancer which includes:

1. Frequent Smoking

Smoking has been attributed to many types of cancer. Research as shown that the rate of stomach cancer in smokers is very high.

2. Infection

Infections also play a major role in the development of stomach cancer. Medical practitioners have found out that long term infection such as helicobacter pylori infection and many more often leads to inflammation and changes to the lining of the stomach.

3. Diet

The type of food we eat contributes to our body system. Scientist believes eating a lot of processed food and food high in salt can increase the risk of having stomach cancer. Therefore, it is important to eat fresh food and vegetables as they are more beneficial to the body and also reduce the risk of stomach cancer.

4. Genetics

People who have E-cadherin, Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, and others in their genes have a high risk of developing stomach cancer. Also, children whose parent or close relatives suffers from stomach cancer have a higher risk of developing it.

Treatment

The treatment of stomach cancer depends on its severity and the health of the patient.

Surgery

Surgeries are carried out when stomach cancer is in the early stage to remove the tumor in the lining of the stomach before it spreads to the other part of the body.