What is stomach cancer?
What causes stomach cancer?
Causes include:
-
An infection in your stomach with the bacteria called H. pylori
-
Genetics (something you inherit from one or both parents)
What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?
Early symptoms are mild and you may not notice them. They include:
Later symptoms may include:
-
Weight loss or weakness
-
Anemia (low number of red blood cells)
-
Light-headedness
-
Throwing up blood or passing black tarry stool
Spreading cancer may cause symptoms such as:
-
Jaundice (yellow-colored skin and a yellow color to the white parts of your eyes)
-
Fluid build-up and swelling in your belly
-
Swollen lymph nodes
-
Weak bones, leading to bone fractures
How can doctors tell if I have stomach cancer?
Doctors look for stomach cancer with:
-
Endoscopy (a flexible viewing tube is passed through your throat to look in your stomach and take samples for testing)
If endoscopy and biopsy tests shows stomach cancer, doctors usually do:
-
CT scan and ultrasound of the abdomen to check if it has spread to other organs
-
Blood tests
How do doctors treat stomach cancer?
Doctors treat stomach cancer that hasn’t spread with:
Removing the whole tumor before it spreads is the only chance for a cure. For stomach cancer that has spread, treatment can’t cure the disease or help someone live longer. Doctors may treat symptoms and make the person feel more comfortable with:
