Types of stomach cancer

There are some less common and rare types of stomach cancer which include:

• Lymphomas. These are cancers which arise from the lymphatic tissue within the wall of the stomach
• Sarcomas. These are cancers which arise from the muscle or connective tissue within the wall of the stomach
• Carcinoid cancers. These are cancers which arise from cells in the stomach lining which make hormones

The rest of this leaflet only discusses adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

Diet is probably a factor:

Countries such as Japan, where people eat a lot of salt, pickled and smoked foods, have a high rate of stomach cancer.

Smokers have a higher rate of stomach cancer compared with people who do not smoke

Long-term infection of the stomach lining with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori seems to lead to a slightly higher risk of stomach cancer. (This infection is very common in the UK, and most people with H. pylori infection do not develop stomach cancer. See separate leaflet called 'Helicobacter Pylori and Stomach Pain'.).

Gender Stomach cancer is twice as common in men as in women.

If you have had part of your stomach removed in the past for any reason. For example, to treat a stomach ulcer or some other condition.

Family history For some cases, stomach cancer may run in the family. However, most cases of stomach cancer do not run in families and are not inherited.

What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

When a stomach cancer first develops and is small, it usually causes no symptoms. Some do not cause symptoms until they are quite advanced. Initial symptoms may include:

• Pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, especially after eating
• Indigestion. (Note: most people who have indigestion do not have stomach cancer.)
• Feeling sick, off food. Some people have a sense of fullness after eating.

You may pass blood out with your faeces (motions). You may not notice bleeding if small amounts of blood pass out with your faeces. A lot of bleeding from the stomach can turn your faeces black.

As the cancer grows in the stomach, symptoms may become worse and may include:

• The same symptoms as above, but more severe
• Feeling generally unwell and more tired than usual
• Becoming anaemic if the tumour regularly bleeds. This can cause you to become more tired than usual

For further more details, Contact Dr.S.Ayyappan has specialised in Peritoneal Surface Malignancies performed many number of Cytoreductive and HIPEC Surgeries for diseases which are considered as inoperable.