Tuesday 11 August 2015

WHAT CAUSES STOMACH CANCER

What Causes Stomach Cancer?

Scientists don’t know exactly what makes cancer cells start growing in the stomach. But they do know a few things that can raise your risk for the disease. One of them is infection with a common bacteria, H. pylori, which causes ulcers. Inflammation in your gut called gastritis, long-lasting anemia, and growths in your stomach called polyps also can make you more likely to get cancer.

Other things that seem to play a role in raising the risk include:

    Smoking
    Being overweight or obese
    A diet high in smoked, pickled, or salty foods
    Stomach surgery for an ulcer
    Type-A blood
    Epstein-Barr virus infection
    Certain genes
    Working in coal, metal, timber, or rubber industries
    Exposure to asbestos

Symptoms
    Early on, stomach cancer may cause:
    Indigestion
    Feeling bloated after you eat a meal
    Heartburn
    Slight nausea
    Loss of appetite

Just having indigestion or heartburn after a meal doesn’t mean you have cancer. But if you feel these symptoms a lot, talk to your doctor. He can see if you have other risk factors and test you to look for any problems.

As stomach tumors grow, you may have more serious symptoms, such as:

    Stomach pain
    Blood in your stool
    Vomiting
    Weight loss for no reason
    Trouble swallowing
    Yellowish eyes or skin
    Swelling in your stomach
    Constipation or diarrhea
    Weakness or feeling tired
    Heartburn

Getting a Diagnosis

Your doctor will give you a physical exam. He'll also ask about your medical history to see if you have any risk factors for stomach cancer or any family members who’ve had it. Then, he might give you some tests, including:

    Blood tests to look for signs of cancer in your body.

    Upper endoscopy. Your doctor will put a thin, flexible tube with a small camera down your throat to look into your stomach.

    Upper GI series test. You’ll drink a chalky liquid with a substance called barium. The fluid coats your stomach and makes it show up more clearly on X-rays.

    CT scan . This is a powerful X-ray that makes detailed pictures of the inside of your body.

    Biopsy . Your doctor takes a small piece of tissue from your stomach to look at under a microscope for signs of cancer cells. He might do this during an endoscopy.

WebMD

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