Who is affected by stomach cancer

Familial adenomatous polyposis FAP : This syndrome causes polyp s in the colon, stomach and intestines. Often caused by mutations of the gene APC, this syndrome greatly increases a person's risk of colorectal cancer and may play a small role in increasing a person's stomach cancer risk.

Learn more about genetic testing. Smoking: Some evidence has linked cigarette smoking to many types of cancer, including stomach cancer. Smokers are at greater risk of developing cancer than non-smokers. Diet: Scientists believe that eating processed foods may play a role in the development of stomach cancer. On the other hand, fresh foods especially fresh fruits and vegetables and properly frozen or refrigerated fresh foods may protect against this disease.

Working in the coal, metal or rubber industries: Chemicals that are released in these environments have been linked to the development of stomach cancer. In fact, stomach cancer patients typically have a higher incidence of H. Last Name. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter.

Show references AskMayoExpert. Gastric cancer adult. Mayo Clinic; Gastric cancer. National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Accessed July 24, Niederhuber JE, et al. Cancer of the stomach. In: Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. Elsevier; Gastric cancer treatment PDQ. National Cancer Institute. Accessed July 27, Left untreated, cancer can spread to other parts of the body, usually through the lymphatic system a network of vessels and glands called lymph nodes located throughout the body.

Once the cancer reaches your lymphatic system, it's capable of spreading to other parts of your body, including your blood, bones and organs.

It's not known what triggers the changes in DNA that lead to stomach cancer and why only a small number of people develop the condition. However, evidence suggests that a number of different factors can affect your chances of developing stomach cancer. These are discussed below.

Your risk of developing stomach cancer increases with age. Most cases occur in people aged 55 or over. People who smoke are about twice as likely to develop stomach cancer compared with non-smokers.

This is because you swallow some cigarette smoke when you inhale and it ends up in your stomach. Cigarettes contain harmful chemicals which can damage the cells in your stomach. The more you smoke and the longer you've been smoking, the bigger the risk. Helicobacter pylori H. In most people, these bacteria are harmless, but in some people an H.

Research has found people with severe chronic atrophic gastritis have an increased risk of developing stomach cancer, although this risk is still small. A diet rich in pickled vegetables, such as pickled onions or piccalilli, salted fish, salt in general and smoked meats, such as pastrami or smoked beef, increases your risk of stomach cancer. Countries where this type of diet is popular, such as Japan, tend to have much higher rates of stomach cancer than the UK.

A high fibre diet with five portions of fruit and vegetables a day will help protect against stomach cancer, and a diet high in fats and processed food and red meat will increase your risk of getting stomach cancer. You're more likely to develop stomach cancer if you have a close relative with the condition, such as one of your parents or a sibling brother or sister.

In such cases, it may be appropriate for your doctor to arrange genetic counselling. It's not fully understood why stomach cancer seems to run in families. It may be because of shared risk factors, such as having similar diets or having an H. In around one in 50 cases of stomach cancer, testing has found that people share a mutation in a gene known as E-cadherin.

Research into stomach cancer has also shown that you may be more at risk of getting the condition if you have the blood type A. Your blood type is passed on from your parents, so this could be another way in which family history may increase your risk of developing stomach cancer. There's also a condition that runs in families called familial adenomatous polyposis FAP , which may increase your risk of developing stomach cancer. FAP causes small growths, called polyps, to form in your digestive system, and is known to increase your risk of developing bowel cancer.

Your risk of developing stomach cancer is increased if you've had another type of cancer, such as cancer of the oesophagus or non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer that develops in your white blood cells. For men, the risk of getting stomach cancer is increased after having prostate cancer , bladder cancer , breast cancer or testicular cancer.

For women, the risk of developing stomach cancer increases after having ovarian cancer , breast cancer or cervical cancer. Having certain medical conditions can also increase your risk of developing stomach cancer, such as pernicious anaemia a vitamin B12 deficiency, which occurs when your body can't absorb it properly , and peptic stomach ulcers an ulcer in your stomach lining, often caused by H.

If you've had stomach surgery, or surgery to a part of your body that affects your stomach, you may be more likely to develop stomach cancer. This can include surgery to remove part of your stomach known as a partial gastrectomy , surgery to remove part of your vagus nerve the nerve that carries information from your brain to organs such as your heart, lungs and digestive system , or surgery to repair a stomach ulcer. See your GP as soon as possible if you have stomach cancer symptoms such as indigestion, unexpected weight loss, anaemia and persistent vomiting.

Your GP will ask about your symptoms and examine your stomach for any lumpiness or tenderness. If they think that stomach cancer may be a possibility they'll refer you to a specialist for further investigation. Find out who should be referred for further tests for suspected stomach cancer. These may include a blood test and chest X-ray , which will assess your overall health.

A sample of your stools may also be tested for blood. Because of the potentially serious nature of stomach cancer, you should be referred to the specialist within two weeks.

Read more about waiting times. An endoscopy is a procedure where the inside of your body is examined using a piece of equipment called an endoscope a long, thin flexible tube with a light and a video camera at the end. If you need to have an endoscopy, you won't be able to eat or drink for four to eight hours before the procedure.

This is to ensure your stomach and duodenum top of the small intestine are empty. You'll be awake during the endoscopy, but may be given a sedative by injection to make you feel drowsy and relaxed. A local anaesthetic may also be sprayed onto the back of your throat, so the area is numbed. The endoscope will be passed down your gullet food pipe and into your stomach so the specialist can look for any stomach ulcers or signs of cancer.

If tissue is found that may be cancerous, a sample will be taken for testing. This procedure is known as a biopsy. The sample will be examined under a microscope in a laboratory.

The results will show whether the cells are cancerous malignant or non-cancerous benign and will usually take 7 to 10 days to come back. The endoscopy itself usually takes about 15 minutes, although you should allow about 2 hours in total for your visit.

If your specialist thinks you may have cancer in the top part of your stomach, you may have an ultrasound scan at the same time as an endoscopy. This is known as an endoscopic ultrasound and uses high-frequency sound waves to produce an image of your stomach this method is commonly used to view an unborn baby in the womb. If you have an endoscopic ultrasound, an ultrasound probe will be attached to the end of the endoscope before it's passed down your throat.

The scan will help determine the stage of any cancer in the top part of your stomach. After an endoscopy, or an endoscopic ultrasound, you won't be able to drive for several hours because of the sedative. You may also have a sore throat , although this should pass within a few days.

A barium meal X-ray or barium swallow involves drinking a chalky liquid containing a substance called barium, which makes your stomach show up on an X-ray. Nowadays, however, it's less commonly used to diagnose stomach cancers. Organs such as your stomach don't usually show up on an X-ray because they're made of soft tissue that isn't dense enough to stop the X-rays passing through.

However, when these organs are filled with barium, it blocks the X-rays and shows up white on an X-ray screen. You won't able to eat or drink for at least 6 hours before the procedure because your stomach and duodenum need to be empty. You may be given an injection to relax the muscles in your digestive system. A barium swallow usually takes about 15 minutes. Afterwards, you'll be able to eat and drink as normal, although you may need to drink more water to help flush the barium out of your system.

You may feel slightly sick, and the barium may cause constipation. Your stools may be white for a few days afterwards as the barium passes through your system. If you're diagnosed with stomach cancer, further tests may be needed to help determine how far it's spread and how quickly it's likely to spread known as the stage and grade.

Your cancer specialist oncologist will discuss this with you. However, it may not always be possible to identify the exact stage of your condition until your treatment starts.

Your specialist may need to examine your stomach in more detail to see if the cancer has spread, particularly to the lining of the abdominal cavity peritoneum. If it has, you may need to have a small operation called a laparoscopy. This procedure is carried out under a general anaesthetic , so you'll be unconscious during it. During the procedure, a thin viewing tube with a camera at the end a laparoscope will be inserted into your stomach through a small incision in the lower part of your tummy.

In some cases, your specialist may need to examine more than one area of your stomach and make more than one incision. A computer is then used to put the images together and create a detailed picture of the inside of your body. Because this disease is very rare, it is not known exactly how much this increases the risk of stomach cancer. Some people inherit gene mutations changes from their parents that lead to conditions that can raise their risk of stomach cancer.

These inherited syndromes account for only a small percentage of stomach cancers worldwide. This inherited syndrome greatly increases the risk of developing stomach cancer. Women with this syndrome also have an increased risk of invasive lobular breast cancer. This syndrome is most often caused by mutations in the CDH1 gene. Lynch syndrome formerly known as HNPCC is an inherited genetic disorder that increases the risk of colorectal cancer , stomach cancer, and some other cancers.

These genes normally help repair DNA that has been damaged. People with FAP get many polyps in the colon, and sometimes in the stomach and intestines, starting at an early age.

People with this syndrome have a very high risk of getting colorectal cancer and a slightly increased risk of getting stomach cancer. This rare condition is caused by a mutation in a specific part of the APC gene. People with this syndrome have an increased risk of several types of cancer, including developing stomach cancer at a relatively young age. Li-Fraumeni syndrome is caused by a mutation in the TP53 gene. People with this condition develop polyps in the stomach and intestines, as well as in other areas including the nose, the airways of the lungs, and the bladder.

The polyps in the stomach and intestines are called hamartomas. They can cause problems like bleeding or blockage of the intestines. PJS can also cause dark freckle-like spots on the lips, inner cheeks and other areas. People with PJS have an increased risk of several types of cancer, including cancers of the colon, pancreas , stomach, and breast. This syndrome is caused by mutations in the STK11 gene. People with first-degree relatives parents, siblings, or children who have had stomach cancer are more likely to develop this disease, even without one of the inherited cancer syndromes described above.

Still, most people who get stomach cancer do not have a family history of it.