The stomach is a muscular sac-like organ in the upper abdomen. It is part of the digestive system. Organs of the digestive system change food into energy and help pass waste out of the body.
Stomach Cancer often does not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. The most common symptom is a mild ache in the abdomen that feels like indigestion.
About this Cancer
– The incidence rate for stomach cancer is expected to decrease in 2024, being the 12th most diagnosed cancer among males and 17th among females, with a 5-year survival rate of 27% and 32%, respectively.
– It is estimated that around 4,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with stomach cancer, of which 2,600 are men and 1,400 are women, and that around half (2,000) of them will die from the disease (1,250 men and 760 women).
– Pain or discomfort in the abdomen
– Heartburn
– Loss of appetite
– Feeling full after a small meal
– Not feeling hungry when expected to
– Losing weight without trying
– Bloating in the abdomen
– Nausea or vomiting (with or without blood)
– Dark stool or blood in the stool
– Anemia (too few red blood cells)
– Fatigue and weakness
– Swallowing problems
– Fluid build-up in the abdomen
– Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
For more information, check out the Canadian Cancer Society, the American Cancer Society, the Mayo Clinic, or the Cleveland Clinic.
– Certain infections and medical conditions (for example, infection with H pylori bacteria)
– Smoking tobacco
– Inherited genetic conditions and family history of stomach cancer
– Previous stomach surgery
– Environmental exposures
– Contact with ionizing radiation (high energy radiation that can remove particles from an atom
– Working in the rubber industry (being in contact with cancer-causing chemicals)
– Type A blood
– Alcohol
– Excess weight
– A diet low in fruits and vegetables and high in salty and smoked foods.
For more information, visit the Canadian Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, or No Stomach For Cancer.
– CBC (measurement of the number and quality of white/red blood cells and platelets)
– Blood chemistry tests (measure certain chemicals in the blood)
– Liver function tests
– Kidney function tests
– Electrolyte panel
– Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (looking inside the esophagus/stomach/small intestine)
– Biopsy (tissue/cell removal and testing)
– Endoscopic biopsy
– EUS-guided needle biopsy
– Laparoscopic biopsy
– Tumour marker tests
– CT (computed tomography) scan
– Chest x-ray
– MRI
– PET scan (observe changes in metabolic activity of body tissues)
– Laparoscopy (examine or remove internal organs)
For more information, check out the Canadian Cancer Society, or the Mayo Clinic.
– Surgery (strongly varies between stage 0 and stage 4)
– Gastrectomy
– Endoscopic resection
– Limited surgical resection
– Subtotal or total gastrectomy
– Palliative surgery
– Stent
– Feeding tube
– Bowel obstruction
– Gastrojejunostomy
– Endoluminal laser therapy
– Chemoradiation
– Chemotherapy
– Radiation therapy
– Targeted therapy
For more information, check out the Canadian Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, or the American Cancer Society.
Stories from Survivors
– Fight for Your Future – Lina Miranda
If you would like to share your stomach cancer story, please email us at info@survivornet.ca.
– The Kuchinskis – This is our fight
– FINGERS CROSSED: MY BABY AND MY CANCER
– Living, Loving, Laughing and Fighting
– MOM’S BLOG {THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER}
– My Stomachless Life – The many adventures of a stomachless twenty-something
– Debbie’s Dream Foundation – Stomach cancer survivor stories
– Debbie’s Dream Foundation – Curing Stomach Cancer Support Community
– No stomach for cancer – personal stories
– Stomach Cancer Patient Stories – Fox Chase
– Stories About Stomach Cancer – Cancer Council NSW
Resources
– A Short Guide to Stomach Cancer
– Coping and support when you have stomach cancer
– Coping with Stomach Cancer and Treatment
– Do Certain Foods Fight Stomach Cancer?
– How a Healthier Lifestyle Can Help Reduce Your Risk of Stomach Cancer
– Gastric Cancer, Information and Resources – Cancer Care
– How to Manage Your Diet and Nutrition While Living with Stomach Cancer
– Mayo Clinic Explains Stomach Cancer (YouTube)
– Nutrition and Stomach Cancer
– Nutrition and Stomach Cancer: Prevention
– Stomach Cancer, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment (YouTube)
– Resources and organizations for stomach cancer
– Stomach Cancer Guide (PDF)
– Stomach Cancer Support Groups
– 8 Strategies to Help Gastric Cancer Patients Cope With Nutrition Problems During Treatment
– August 26th, 2024 – Why Is Metastatic Stomach Cancer on the Rise in Young Adults? – Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
– May 15, 2024 – Unraveling the unfolded protein response signature: implications for tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneity and clinical prognosis in stomach cancer – National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
– April 17, 2024 – Adding salt to food at table as an indicator of gastric cancer risk among adults – Springer Link
– April 15, 2024 – The Combination of Afatinib With Dasatinib or Miransertib Results in Synergistic Growth Inhibition of Stomach Cancer Cells – PubMed Central
– April 3, 2024 – Therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture point stimulation for stomach cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis – Frontiers
– March 11, 2024 – Sympathetic Nervous Influences Are Negative Prognostic Factors in Stomach Cancer – MDPI
– March 4, 2024 – Dietary intake of vitamin C and gastric cancer – Springer Link
– December 11, 2023 – Population-based evaluation of disparities in stomach cancer by nativity among Asian and Hispanic populations in California, 2011–2015 – American Cancer Society
– August 29, 2023 – Sleep Duration and Stress Level in the Risk of Gastric Cancer – MDPI
– August 4, 2023 – The burden of stomach cancer mortality by county, race, and ethnicity in the USA, 2000-2019 – The Lancet Regional Health
– July 12, 2023 – Leisure-time physical activity and gastric cancer risk – PLOS ONE
– July 12, 2023 – Novel Biomarkers of Gastric Cancer: Current Research and Future Perspectives – MDPI
– July 6, 2023 – Gastric Cancer Epidemiology: Current Trend and Future Direction – MDPI
– February 23, 2023 – The global, regional, and national burden of stomach cancer among adolescents and young adults in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019 – Frontiers
– October 7, 2022 – The Association between Peptic Ulcer Disease and Gastric Cancer – MDPI
– July 7, 2022 – The global, regional and national burden of stomach cancer and its attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019 – scientific reports
– May 24, 2022 – Tea consumption and gastric cancer: a pooled analysis from the Stomach cancer Pooling (StoP) Project consortium – British Journal of Cancer
– March 28, 2022 – Epidemiology of stomach cancer – PubMed Central
– March 19, 2022 – Salt intake and gastric cancer – Springer Link
– July 28, 2021 – Trends of stomach cancer survival: A systematic review of survival rates from population-based cancer registration – Journal of Digestive Diseases
– 2021 – Increasing the accuracy in the diagnosis of stomach cancer based on color and lint features of tongue – ScienceDirect
– July 19, 2020 – Environmental and ecological factors of stomach cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review study on ecological studies – Deguyter
– February 2, 2020 – Risk factors for stomach cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis – National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
Stomach Cancer Groups
– My Gut Feeling is a stomach cancer support network for patients, survivors and caregivers to provide peer-to-peer support, education, awareness and advocacy as they go through their cancer journey. Visit them at https://www.mygutfeeling.ca/
– Canadian Gastric Cancer Association (CaGCA):The Canadian Gastric Cancer Association (CaGCA) provides a platform for researchers and clinicians to access relevant research and share information with the goal of improving patient outcomes across the board. The CaGCA is an affiliate chapter of the International Gastric Cancer Association. Visit them at Canadian Gastric Cancer Association
– Canadian Digestive Health Foundation: We are the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, Canada’s trusted resource on digestive health. Committed to providing useful, up-to-date information and research to help Canadians better manage digestive conditions and live healthier lives. Visit them at Canadian Digestive Health Foundation
– Debbie’s Dream Foundation (USA)
– DeGregorio Family Foundation (USA)
– Gastric Cancer Foundation (USA)
– Hope for Stomach Cancer (USA)
– International Gastric Cancer Association (Japan)
– No Stomach For Cancer (USA)