Stomach cancer is considered the 4th most common type of cancer in the world, and approximately 20 thousand people are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year in Turkey.
What is Stomach Cancer?
Stomach cancer, which is the 4th most common cancer among all cancers in the world, can spread to any part of the stomach and generally spread to organs such as lymph nodes, liver and lungs. Stomach cancer occurs with the development of malignant tumors in the gastric mucosa due to various reasons. Stomach cancer, which is among the most common cancers in our country, causes 800,000 deaths in the world every year. Stomach cancer, which is more common in men than in women, can be diagnosed early with the developments in technology in recent years and can be controlled with the right treatment applications. It is possible to prevent and get rid of stomach cancer with expert control and proper nutrition.
What are the Symptoms of Stomach Cancer?
Stomach cancer may not show any symptoms in the early stages, and the first noticeable symptoms are indigestion, bloating, and aversion to meaty foods. In the advanced stages of stomach cancer; abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating after eating, weight loss are observed. In particular, patients over the age of 40 who have not had similar complaints before, should pay attention to indigestion and weight loss.
Stomach cancer symptoms are very important to catch the disease at an early stage. It is very important to consult a specialist doctor when various digestive system disorders, stomach pain and indigestion complaints are seen in order to catch stomach cancer at an early stage.
We can briefly list the symptoms of stomach cancer as follows:
Acidity and burping: Increased stomach acid and burping are very common symptoms in gastric cancer cases. However, this does not mean that everyone who experiences these complaints will have stomach cancer.
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Feeling of fullness: One of the obvious signs of stomach cancer is feeling full earlier than usual while eating, and a long-lasting feeling of fullness can lead to weight loss.
- Bleeding and fatigue: In the early period of stomach cancer, continuous bleeding in the stomach can also lead to anemia. As your red blood cells decrease, you may begin to look paler, panting, and in some cases even vomiting blood.
- Blood clots: People with stomach cancer are more likely to have blood clots, so in case of sudden chest pain, shortness of breath and swelling of the legs, a specialist doctor should be consulted immediately.
- Nausea and difficulty swallowing: The feeling of nausea and difficulty swallowing are among the symptoms of stomach cancer. These two occur in more than half of people with stomach cancer. These symptoms are also accompanied by pain in the stomach or under the breastbone.
- Symptoms of advanced stomach cancer: When stomach cancer progresses, there may be blood in the stool, fluid in the abdomen, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Gastric cancer can sometimes progress insidiously without showing any symptoms, and when the symptoms are seen in the late stages, the patient may lose the chance of surgical intervention. This is why early diagnosis of gastric cancer is very important.
What Causes Stomach Cancer?
Stomach cancer can have many causes. Stomach cancer can develop and spread in any part of the digestive system organs. Behaviors and risk factors that affect all organs involved in the digestive process can also trigger stomach cancer. These can be listed as follows;
- Diet: One of the most important causes of stomach cancer is wrong eating habits. Barbecued meat and similar foods, over-salted and pickled vegetables, processed foods are risk factors. The best way to prevent stomach cancer is the Mediterranean type of diet. Organic and fresh fruits and vegetables are also protective against stomach cancer.
- Infections: H. plori infection is an important factor causing stomach cancer. H. plori infection has been seen in 65-85 percent of gastric cancer cases. Gastric cancer is also found in 2% of H.plori-infected cases.
- Smoking and Alcohol: One of the causes of stomach cancer is smoking. Especially when consumed with alcohol, it increases the possibility of stomach cancer. It is possible to reduce the risk of stomach cancer by avoiding smoking and alcohol.
- Genetics: Genetic factors are important in gastric cancer, as in other types of cancer. Genetic factors are prominent in 10 percent of gastric cancer cases.
How Is Stomach Cancer Diagnosed? How is the diagnosis made?
Early diagnosis is very important for the success of treatment in gastric cancer, so people who have stomach problems should be followed up with endoscopy in the early period under the control of specialist doctors. With the endoscopy procedure, your doctor will observe your esophagus, stomach and first parts of the small intestine with a long tube with a lighted camera. If there are parts that look abnormal, a biopsy is taken for a definitive diagnosis. With the appropriate use of endoscopy, the disease can be detected at an early stage. Other than endoscopy, contrast-enhanced radiographs and computed tomography are other important diagnostic techniques that enable the diagnosis of gastric cancer.
Further testing is needed to determine the stage of stomach cancer and to see if it has spread to other organs. These tests are also needed to determine the most appropriate treatment for the patient. Tests such as Computed Tomography (CT), which detects the size and location of stomach cancer, Laparoscopy and MRI, PET-CT, kidney ultrasound, chest X-ray, which checks whether the cancer has spread, can be performed.
Types of Stomach Cancer
After the diagnosis of stomach cancer and the type of cancer are determined, the treatment to be applied is decided. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of stomach cancer.
We can explain the types of stomach cancer as follows;
- Adenocarcinoma: 95 out of every 100 stomach cancers are adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinoma, the most common type of stomach cancer, begins in the cells of the lining of the stomach.
- Squamous cell cancer: Treated in the same way as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell cancers are skin cell-like cells between gland cells that make up the stomach lining.
- Gastric lymphoma: Although gastric lymphoma is very rare, it is different from other stomach cancers.
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST): Rare gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) can be benign or malignant, this type of cancer occurs in the connective tissue cells that support the digestive (gastrointestinal) system organs, mostly in the stomach.
- Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can be benign or malignant (cancer). This rare type of cancer usually grows in the hormone-producing tissues of the digestive tract.
How Is Stomach Cancer Treated?
After the diagnosis of stomach cancer and the type of cancer are determined, the treatment to be applied is decided. Stomach cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. Success can be achieved with expert teamwork and a fully equipped hospital. Proper removal of the cancer-causing tumor in the treatment of stomach cancer is the most important part of the treatment, successful surgical operations at an early stage are very important in terms of the patient’s life expectancy. Part or all of the patient’s stomach can be surgically removed. In patients whose entire stomach is removed, a new stomach is made from the intestine and the patient can continue his/her life normally. Patients living in this way are recommended a diet that requires little and frequent eating. In some patients, after stomach removal, radiation or drug therapy, determined by the doctor, can be performed according to the type of cancer.
Hyperthermia Treatment in Stomach Cancer
During treatments that vary according to the stage of stomach cancer, if the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes, chemotherapy is absolutely necessary. Especially in gastric cancer starting from the second stage, chemotherapy treatment given before surgery is very important to increase the effectiveness after the operation. In addition, hot chemotherapy, which is defined as “Hyperthermia” in the treatment of gastric cancer, provides successful results in suitable patients. Hot chemotherapy called hyperthermia is actually a treatment method that has been used for the last 20-30 years. The method, which was applied for the first time on female cancers, is also frequently applied in large intestine and stomach cancers recently.
Stomach Cancer Surgery
During gastric surgery, which takes an average of 2-5 hours, most or all of the stomach is removed. After gastric surgery, it is recommended that the patient be fed at frequent intervals, in small portions, and swallow the food by chewing very well. Regular check-ups should be maintained after gastric cancer surgery and treatment.
Frequently asked Questions
Stomach cancer is more common in smokers. In addition, gastric cancer is more common in people with stomach polyps, helicobacter pylori infection, or in Asian populations who consume too much food such as smoked food and pickles. But in places where people have more access to fresh vegetables and fruits, the frequency of stomach cancer decreases.
Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the causes of stomach cancer as well as causing gastritis and ulcers. In cases of gastritis and ulcers, this bacteria should definitely be eliminated. In order to prevent stomach cancer, it is necessary to avoid smoking and alcohol use. The zinc and lead ratio in the water you drink is an important factor that causes stomach cancer. In addition, environmental factors such as talc and asbestosis in the air you breathe are among the risk factors.
A dead tissue appears in the stomach exits of people with stomach cancer. Bacteria reproduce in the dead tissue formed here. This causes an extremely bad odor. But if stomach cancer has advanced enough to cause bad breath, certainly other findings have emerged. Therefore, the person with bad breath need not worry, thinking that the cause of this smell is stomach cancer.
It is important to have a supporter during the treatment process. Particular attention should be paid to hygiene on chemotherapy days, hair should be cut short and prepared for the chemotherapy process.
It may take time to adapt to a new diet after stomach surgery. During this time, abdominal cramps may appear to an uncomfortable extent. Generally, after a 1-month period after gastric cancer surgery, oncological treatments can be taken.
