More detailed description about gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the commonest cancers on the world. Considering only cancers, it is the 2nd most common cause of death amongst cancers. Only lung cancer has a worst outcome. It is a known fact that the disease is more frequent where lower socioeconomic standard is present. Gastric cancer occurs twice as much in males than in females, average age of discovery is between 65 and 75 years. The countries with the highest gastric cancer occurrence are Japan, China and some South American countries.

Risk factors and causes of the disease

Many factors influence the development of the disease. One of the most important factors is an unhealthy diet. Research has shown that the presence of nitrates and a diet of salty and smoked foods raise the possibility for the disease's development. The next important factor is infection with special bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Other factors are gastric ulcers, stomach polyps, anaemia and smoking.

Genetics also plays important role in the development of the disease. It is known that in some families gastric cancer occurs more often than in others. Gastric cancer seems to occur more often in patients with non-polypose colon cancer.

Symptoms and signs of the disease

Gastric cancer can often be, especially in early stages of the disease, asymptomatic (showing no symptoms at all). The first symptoms are usually very unspecific, often in the form of an unpleasant feeling in the upper abdomen, or abdominal pain. After a while, weight loss, nausea, vomiting and problems with swallowing hard food can occur. In late stages of the disease, cancer spreads throughout the body, which can be seen as swollen lymph nodes, especially the lymph node above the patients' clavicle.

Diagnostics

Every good diagnostic starts with good patient’s history and a thorough physical exam. Other special tests which show the presence of the disease are X-rays combined with contrast solution (patient drinks contrast solution before getting the X-ray). The most important test for determining the stage and the form of the cancer is gastric endoscopy, a procedure where gastric mucosa is seen with a tiny camera.

Prevention

Cancer is a disease, and it is still not clear what causes it, so it can not be fully prevented. But we can lower the possibility for developing the disease by living a healthy lifestyle. Chances for disease's development can be reduced in different ways.

Eating healthy food is very important. Firstly, it is vital to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. Choose a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Next step is reducing the amount of salty and smoked foods you eat. The decrease in amount should be gradual, so the body can get used to the change in the diet.

Smoking is an important factor in gastric cancer progression, and also in many other malignant diseases. If you smoke, quit. It takes a lot of willpower and effort to stop smoking. Numerous organisations for smoking cessation or your personal doctor can help you on your path.

Diseases like cancer, force you to have greater awareness about your body. If you notice any signs or symptoms of the disease, you must immediately go to your doctor. Only quick recognition enables greater possibilities for complete remission.

Therapy

The course of the disease depends on the stage of your cancer. The stage of cancer is also important for determining the proper treatment management. Surgery gives the best results, especially if cancer is found at an early stage.

Surgery

The goal of every surgical treatment is the removal of all malignant cells. There is a variety of different surgical procedures:

• Endoscopic removal is performed with an endoscope that enables the surgeon to enter the stomach through the mouth and remove the cancerous tissue. This method is appropriate for small tumours at an early stage of the disease.
• Removal of the entire stomach (total gastrectomy) is performed, when the tumour is too big to be removed with an endoscope. Total gastrectomy involves removing the entire stomach and some surrounding tissue. The oesophagus is then connected directly to the small intestine.
• Partial paliative removal of stomach is a procedure which is used to relieve symptoms, such as vomiting and pain, but it does cure the disease. It is used for improving the quality of life in the last stages of the disease.

Radiotherapy

Therapy with radiation can be used as only therapy for cancer or in combination with surgery. It causes numerous side effects as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment with special drugs, which destroy malignant cells. It has severe side effects, because the drugs work on healthy human cells as well. Most important side effects are anaemia, severe diarrhoea and hair loss.

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