Early Detection of Gastric Cancer

Gastric (stomach) cancer is a malignancy that develops in tissue linings in the stomach. The National Cancer Institute says more than 21,000 new cases of gastric cancer will be diagnosed this year and over 10,000 people will die from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society most stomach cancers in the United States are diagnosed at an advanced, rather than an early, stage.

Who's at Risk

• The ACS says the chances of developing stomach cancer in one's lifetime are about 1 in 100. Gastric cancer typically strikes older people and men are at a slightly higher risk than women. Approximately two thirds of people who are diagnosed with stomach cancer are over age 65. The average age is 71.

Survival Rate

• According to the ACS the overall 5 year survival rate of all types and stages of stomach cancer in the U.S. is 28 percent. However, the prognosis is much brighter for early stage gastric cancers. Figures compiled by the ACS show that 90 percent of people with the earliest stage of stomach cancer were alive 5 years after the diagnosis. The survival rate declined successively as the stages progressed.

Screenings

• Since stomach cancer is not as common as some other cancers, the ACS says studies have determined that mass screenings for the disease are of minimal benefit. However, people who are at high risk of stomach cancer may be helped by such proactive testing. In most cases people are diagnosed after they experience symptoms.

Symptoms

• The Mayo Clinic says symptoms that may be indicative of stomach cancer include feeling bloated after eating or feeling full after eating a small amount of food. Other possible warning signs are heartburn, indigestion, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Your doctor can look into your symptoms and conduct a thorough examination.

Adenocarcinoma

• Stomach cancers tend to grow slowly over a period of years. The ACS says up to 95 percent of cancerous tumors of the stomach are called adenocarcinomas. This type of cancer develops from the cells that form the deepest lining of the stomach (known as the mucosa). Other far less common tumors found in the stomach include lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and carcinoid tumors.

Early-Stage Stomach Cancer

• According to the Mayo Clinic when gastric cancer is in stage I, the tumor is confined to the layer of tissue that lines the inner stomach. However, some cancer cells may have already moved into the lymph nodes. In stage II the malignancy has spread into the muscle layer of the stomach wall and may have also spread to the lymph nodes.

Treating Early-Stage Stomach Cancer

• A surgical procedure called an endoscopy is performed to remove very small cancers that are restricted to the inside lining of the stomach. The endoscope is a lighted tube with a camera that travels past your throat into your stomach. The surgeon will remove the cancer and surrounding healthy tissue. Surgery may be followed up with radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments.