While stomach cancer deaths have been steadily decreasing in recent decades, there are roughly 26,000 new cases of the disease diagnosed each year. As with most forms of cancer, the earlier stomach cancer can be detected, the better the treatment outcome will be. Speak with a Bayhealth cancer expert about treatment options for stomach cancer.
Types of Stomach Cancer
There are several types of stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer), all of which are classified according to the section of the stomach where they originated. Symptoms and treatment options depend on the type of stomach cancer and whether or not it has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the stomach or body.
Types of stomach cancer include the following.
- Adenocarcinoma: Developing in glandular cells of the innermost lining (mucosa) of the stomach, adenocarcinoma accounts for roughly 90 percent of all cases of stomach cancer, making it by far the most common form of the disease.
- Gastric Lymphoma: This form of cancer begins in cells called lymphocytes, which are blood cells that are part of the immune system. Lymphoma can form all over the body, including in the wall of the stomach. Gastric lymphoma is highly treatable.
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): Uncommon tumors that can begin anywhere in the digestive tract, GISTs most often start in the wall of the stomach. If left untreated, some GISTs can spread to other parts of the stomach or body.
Rarer types of stomach cancer include neuroendocrine tumors, leiomyosarcomas and carcinoids, as well as small-cell and squamous-cell carcinomas.
Risk Factors & Prevention
People most often affected by stomach cancer are adults aged 65 and older, with the average age of diagnosis being 68, according to the American Cancer Society. However, several other factors can impact your risk for stomach cancer. Those factors include the following.
- Alcohol Use: Though it remains unclear if general alcohol use increases your risk for stomach cancer, evidence suggests that consuming three or more drinks per day can contribute to the development of the disease. If you already have stomach cancer, alcohol consumption can cause the disease to advance more rapidly.
- Bacterial Infection: Infections caused by the helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria have been linked to numerous cases of stomach cancer, particularly in the lower part of the stomach. Though many carriers of the H. pylori bacteria never develop noticeable symptoms, an infection can cause ulcers as well as atrophic gastritis, which is a precancerous inflammation of the stomach lining.
- Diet: Risk for developing stomach cancer increases if you eat a steady diet of smoked, salty, or pickled foods. Limiting your consumption of those foods, while also prioritizing fruits or vegetables, may help to lower that risk.
- Gastric Polyps: A mass of cells that grow on the inner lining of the stomach, gastric polyps are often harmless and cause few (if any) symptoms. However, a rare type of stomach polyp (adenoma) can develop into cancer over time.
- Gender: Research suggests that men are twice as likely to develop stomach cancer compared to women. This is perhaps due to the absence of the female hormone estrogen, which offers protection from gastric inflammation.
- Race & Ethnicity: Cases of stomach cancer tend to be more common among non-white populations in the U.S., including African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.
- Surgery: If you’ve had surgery to address a non-cancerous gastric illness (such as ulcers), your stomach’s ability to create acids may have been suppressed. This could allow for more bacteria to form in the stomach, potentially leading to cancer later on.
- Tobacco Use: Risk for stomach cancer is twice as likely for individuals who have smoked cigarettes or other tobacco products for extended periods of time.
- Obesity: An excessively high body weight can increase the risk for developing cancer in the cardia, which is the upper part of the stomach near the esophagus.
Family and Personal History
A family history of stomach cancer can increase the risk that you will develop the disease at some point in your life. In clinical partnership with Penn Medicine’s Telegenetics Program, Bayhealth provides genetic counseling services to our patients. Using video-conferencing software that can be accessed on our Kent and Sussex campuses, genetic counselors at the Abramson Cancer Center will discuss your personal and family history with you and make genetic testing recommendations. These tests provide insight into your cancer risks and help our multidisciplinary medical team to determine the best treatment plan for your condition. To learn more about our telegenetics program or to participate, call us at 302-674-4401.
Signs & Symptoms
Because stomach cancer can develop slowly over many years, the disease rarely presents noticeable symptoms during its early stages. Once the tumor has grown, stomach cancer shows more serious symptoms, including the following.
- Black stool
- Blood in your stool
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Loss of weight
- Stomach pain
- Swelling in your stomach
- Trouble swallowing
- Vomiting
- Yellowish eyes or skin
How We Diagnose Stomach Cancer
Our experts use the following diagnostic procedures to identify stomach cancer.
- Biopsy: Surgeons remove a tissue sample from your stomach so that it can be examined under a microscope to determine if cancer cells are present.
- Blood Test: A blood test may reveal signs of cancer in the stomach.
- Computerized Tomography (CT): Certified experts use computer-processed X-rays to generate a scan of your body in “slices” to create highly accurate images.
- Upper Endoscopy: A thin tube (endoscope) is inserted into your stomach through the esophagus, providing clear images of the organ’s lining. If any abnormalities are found, your doctor will take a tissue biopsy for testing.
- Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series Test: During this imaging procedure, you will drink a chalky liquid (barium) that coats the inside of your stomach, making it visible on X-rays.
Treatment Options
Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to outline a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Experts from a range of specialties will discuss your condition and determine the best plan of action. Factors we consider when developing your treatment plan include the stage and location of the cancer and your personal medical history.
Treatments for stomach cancer include the following.
Medical Therapy
Our board-certified oncologists prescribe your medical therapy, and our highly trained nursing staff administers that therapy intravenously, orally or through injection.
Among the medical treatments we provide are the following.
- Targeted Drug Therapy: This type of cancer treatment uses drugs to “target” cancer cells without affecting normal cells.
- Chemotherapy: This drug treatment uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells in your body.
- Immunotherapy: This treatment option boosts your immune system, empowering it to fight and destroy cancer cells.
Radiation Therapy
Our team of board-certified radiation oncologists may use external beam radiation in combination with other treatments to address your cancer. Employing sophisticated technology, our therapists concentrate high-energy beams of radiation on the precise parts of your body affected by disease. This safe and accurate procedure may be administered routinely over a period of days or weeks.
Surgical Approach
Our specialized surgery team uses the latest in minimally invasive techniques to remove all or part of your stomach in a procedure called gastrectomy. Adhering to evidence-based guidelines, our robot-assisted surgical procedures provide safe treatment for all stages of cancer. Learn more about cancer treatment options at Bayhealth.
Support Services
Before, during and after your cancer treatments, our experts remain dedicated to improving your quality of life. Our care team supports you in establishing healthy routines that help you stay in control of your daily symptoms. We also host support groups that provide patients and families opportunities to connect and share their experiences — because a strong network of support can help to make the realities of cancer more manageable.
- Cancer Support Community: A statewide non-profit organization, the Cancer Support Community is dedicated to helping people manage the emotional aspects of their cancer journey. Learn more about the Cancer Support Community.
Explore our classes, events, and support groups.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test cutting-edge drugs, procedures and technologies with the purpose of establishing new or better ways of treating cancer. The skilled nurses in our Clinical Research Program can help you find clinical trial options for your specific cancer.
Speak with a Bayhealth expert about cancer treatment options.