What kind of tumor is gastric cancer? What are its causes? How to treat it?

Gastric cancer, the English name isStomach cancer, is a malignant tumor that can occur in any part of the stomach. However, most clinical gastric cancer cases occur in the main part of the stomach, the gastric body. Stomach cancer is not a single type but consists of many different types of cancer that originate from different cells in the stomach. Thankfully, most stomach cancers are potentially curable if caught early.

Stomach cancer is more common in older people. In fact, more than half of gastric cancer cases occur in patients over the age of 65, and men have a slightly higher lifetime risk of stomach cancer than women. However, this does not mean that young people are not at risk from stomach cancer, as stomach cancer can affect anyone. The development of stomach cancer is usually a slow process that can take many years to progress from the first cellular changes to visible tumors. During this process, tiny changes occur in the DNA of stomach cells, causing the cells to overproduce and eventually accumulate to form abnormal growths known as tumors.

There are several known risk factors that increase the risk of stomach cancer. For example, smoking doubles the risk of stomach cancer. In addition, people with a family history of gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori infection, long-term gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or gastric polyps are also more likely to develop gastric cancer. Dietary habits are also an important risk factor, with intake of foods high in salt and smoke, as well as a diet low in fruits and vegetables, potentially increasing the risk of stomach cancer. At the same time, there is also a certain link between weight gain and the risk of gastric cancer.

Symptoms of stomach cancer may vary from person to person, but common ones include difficulty swallowing, feeling bloated after eating, feeling full after eating only small amounts of food, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, unintentional weight loss, and vomiting. If you have any of these symptoms and they persist or worsen, you should make an appointment with your doctor for a checkup. Your doctor may first rule out common causes of these symptoms or refer you to a specialist, such as a gastroenterologist or oncologist, for a more specialized evaluation.

To diagnose stomach cancer, your doctor may perform a series of tests. Among them, upper endoscopy is a commonly used method. A tiny camera is passed through the throat and into the stomach to observe the situation inside the stomach. If a suspicious lesion is found, the doctor will take some tissue for a biopsy to further analyze the nature of the cells. In addition, doctors may perform imaging tests, such as CT scans or barium meal X-rays, to determine the extent and stage of the cancer. These test results will help doctors develop treatment plans.

The treatment of gastric cancer requires the joint efforts of doctors from multiple disciplines. There are currently five main treatments: surgery to remove the cancerous tissue and some surrounding healthy tissue; chemotherapy, which spreads drugs throughout the body to destroy cancer cells; radiation therapy, which uses high-energy beams to target and kill cancer cells; targeted drug therapy, which focuses on blocking specific weaknesses within cancer cells; and immunotherapy, which uses drugs to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.

In short, gastric cancer is a complex malignant tumor, but early detection and active treatment can significantly improve the cure rate. Understanding the risk factors, symptoms, and diagnosis of gastric cancer is critical to preventing and treating gastric cancer. If you have any concerns or symptoms, please seek medical advice promptly.

(Click to view an introduction to drugs for treating gastric cancer.)

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stomach-cancer/multimedia/vid-20535237