Oncology & Cancer Case Reports

Kashetti Smita^{* *}Correspondence: Kashetti Smita, Managing Editor, Journal of Oncology and Cancer Case Reports Chaussee de la Hulpe 181, Brussels, Belgium, Email:

Author info »

Opinion

Gastric cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lining of the stomach. Age, diet, and stomach disease can affect the risk of developing gastric cancer. Symptoms of gastric cancer include indigestion and stomach discomfort or pain. Risk factors may include smoking and a diet of highly processed or salty foods.

There may be no symptoms of stomach cancer early on. Later, symptoms include feeling bloated after eating, feeling full after eating small amounts of food, nausea, heartburn or indigestion. Treatment options include surgery, medication, radiation and chemotherapy. The most common type of stomach cancer is known as an adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma is responsible for about 90 percent of all cases of stomach cancer. Adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that originates in glandular tissue.

This aggressive cancer grows rapidly in the cells of the stomach wall. It doesn't form a mass or a tumor, so it can be challenging to diagnose. It tends to start in younger people with a family history of the disease or a related genetic syndrome. Many cases of stomach cancer can't be completely cured, but it's still possible to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life using chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and surgery. If operable, surgery can cure stomach cancer as long as all of the cancerous tissue can be removed. The stomach is one part of the digestive tract that digests food and moves nutrients through the gut to the small intestine. Since this type of cancer is typically slow-growing, it can take years to develop.

Stomach cancer is a slow-growing cancer that usually develops over a year or longer. Generally, there are no symptoms in the early stages (asymptomatic). As the disease progresses, a variety of symptoms can develop. You may not be able to feel the tumor because the mass of stomach cancer develops slowly. However, an abdominal mass related to a stomach tumor is most often felt during a routine physical exam by the doctor. You may not be able to feel the tumor because the mass of stomach cancer develops slowly.

Cancer is nearly always diagnosed by an expert who has looked at cell or tissue samples under a microscope. In some cases, tests done on the cells' proteins, DNA, and RNA can help tell doctors if there's cancer. These test results are very important when choosing the best treatment options.

It may be surprising to learn a person can live without a stomach. But the body is able to bypass the stomach's main function of storing and breaking down food to gradually pass to the intestines. Absent a stomach, food consumed in small quantities can move directly from the esophagus to the small intestine. Surgery to remove your stomach is called a gastrectomy. There are different types of gastrectomy. The type you have depends on the stage and position of your cancer. You might have: a subtotal or partial gastrectomy-the surgeon removes part of your stomach.