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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