Early Stomach Cancer

Also called gastric cancer, stomach cancer tends to develop slowly over many years and usually affects people over the age of 70. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 13,000 men and 8,000 women are diagnosed with stomach cancer each year in the United States.

Symptoms

• Stomach cancer is very hard to determine early, because early-stage stomach cancer rarely causes symptoms. When symptoms develop, they resemble a stomach virus. Symptoms include fatigue, bloating, heartburn, indigestion, nausea and stomach pain.

Types

• Cancers starting in different sections of the stomach may have different symptoms and prognoses. About 90 percent of stomach cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are cancers that develop from the innermost stomach linings. Other tumors found in the stomach include lymphomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and carcinoid tumors.

Causes and Risk Factors

• The cause of stomach cancer is unknown. Risk factors include salty food choices, a diet low in fruits and vegetables, smoking, anemia and a family history of stomach cancer.

Stages

• Stomach cancer is categorized in stages 0 through IV. Early stomach cancer is limited to the layer of tissue that lines the stomach.

Treatment

• Treatment options depend upon the stage of the cancer as well as your overall health. In early-stage stomach cancer, small tumors that haven't spread past the inside lining of the stomach may be removed using endoscopy.