Stomach Cancer

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Genetics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

The stomach is an organ between the esophagus and the small intestine. It mixes food with stomach acid and helps digest protein. Stomach cancer mostly affects older people - two-thirds of people who have it are over age 65. Your risk of getting it is also higher if you

• Have had a Helicobacter pylori infection
• Have had stomach inflammation
• Are a man
• Eat lots of salted, smoked, or pickled foods
• Smoke cigarettes
• Have a family history of stomach cancer

It is hard to diagnose stomach cancer in its early stages. Indigestion and stomach discomfort can be symptoms of early cancer, but other problems can cause the same symptoms. In advanced cases, there may be blood in your stool, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, or trouble swallowing. Doctors diagnose stomach cancer with a physical exam, blood and imaging tests, an endoscopy, and a biopsy.

Because it is often found late, it can be hard to treat stomach cancer. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• General Information about Gastric Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Stomach Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• What Is Stomach Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• How Is Stomach Cancer Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Risks of Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute)
• Stages of Gastric Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Upper GI Endoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Prevention (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• What Are the Risk Factors for Stomach Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Drugs Approved for Stomach (Gastric) Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
• Gastrectomy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Surgery For Stomach Cancer (American Cancer Society)
• Treatment Option Overview (Gastric Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Options by Stage (Gastric Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• What Happens After Treatment for Stomach Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Do We Know What Causes Stomach Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Helicobacter pylori and Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Stomach Polyps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Stomach Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome (American Society of Clinical Oncology)

Statistics and Research

• Cancer Statistics: Cancer of the Stomach (National Cancer Institute)
• Snapshot of Stomach Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• What Are the Key Statistics about Stomach Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• What's New in Stomach Cancer Research and Treatment? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Stomach Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Effect of laparoscopic gastrectomy on compliance with adjuvant chemotherapy in...
• Article: Trends in esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancer research from 2007...
• Article: Clinical outcome after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer...
• Stomach Cancer -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• ASGE: Find a Doctor (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
• Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Find a Gastroenterologist (American College of Gastroenterology)
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• Organizations That Offer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Abdominal radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gastrectomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Radiation enteritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Stomach cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Chemotherapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
• What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish