Beware Of Stomach Cancer
Cancer is regarded as an unrestrained growth and multiplication of abnormal cells in the body. Abnormal cells alter their pathway from the normal path and turn into cancer cells or other abnormal cells. And unfortunately. patients with gastric cancer are by and large diagnosed in their advanced stages, as no symptoms come to the fore, in the earlier stages.
Stomach Or Gastric Cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is described by the expansion Of cancerous cells in the stomach lining. In many cases, there are no signs or symptoms in the initial stage and as a result, diagnosing this type of cancer becomes difficult. This is the reason why. stomach cancer is one of the fifth most common disease worldwide and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the world.
What Makes Stomach Cancer Different
One of the major risks of this cancer type is the complexity of detecting it. As stomach cancer exhibits symptoms in the later stage, it normally remains undiagnosed until it reaches out to other organs in the different sections of the body, Therefore. treating the disease becomes extremely hard.
The stomach that comprises the oesophagus, a food pipe, is just one fraction of the upper section of the digestive system, the stomach is responsible tor digesting the food and transferring the nutrients to the smaller and larger intestines. So generally. cells in the upper digestive tract turn cancerous and grow beyond control, developing into a tumour gradually. Therefore, stomach or gastric cancer develops over a period of time.
Risk Factors
This type of cancer is associated with tumours in the abdominal section. Yet, there are a few factors, which boost the risk of formation of these tumorous cells. Diseases such as lymphoma, helicobacter pylori infection. Chronic atrophic gastritis, stomach polyps and tumours in other areas of the digestive system increases the risk of cancer.
It is common in older adults who are over 50 years of age and beyond, smokers and also the workers in the coal, metal, and rubber industries. Further, it is common among those with a family history of gastric cancer. Even people in Asian countries, especially Japanese and Korean descent along with those with a Belarusian descent are at risk of developing cancer Studies suggest that stomach cancer may be associated with the diet including smoked fish, salty food, red meat preserved meats and rotten vegetables and fruits.
Symptoms
Early stomach cancer has no physical signs and symptoms, as in most cases, it is diagnosed accidently Most symptoms of gastric cancer reflect advanced disease and the most common among them being generalized weakness. upper abdominal pain or discomfort, frequent heartburn, constant bloating and stomach pain.
Diagnosis
Typically, in most cases, people with stomach or gastric cancer barely exhibit any sign in the initial stages. As a result. the tumour remains undiagnosed until the later stages. To diagnose the cancer. doctors might conduct a physical check-up to detect any signs of abnormalities. Doctors may also suggest a blood test, including medical examination to check for Helicobacter pylori infection.
Additional tests will be required in case the doctor senses any sign of stomach cancer. Diagnosis is usually by biopsy, which is done during endoscopy. It is then followed by CT PET scan to determine if the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the initial stage and as a result, diagnosing this type of cancer becomes difficult
Treatment
For stomach cancer, there exists standard treatment options such as surgery. chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy which has progressed over the past 10 years, Doctors usually recommend that the treatments be supplemented with immune therapy, as these tumour cells are much easier to destroy with immune cells.
Dendritic cell treatment is often used when conventional therapies fail to succeed. Furthermore, it is a gentle treatment when compared to radiation or chemotherapy. Also, in contrast with other forms of therapies. dendritic cell treatment causes side effects on rare occasions and the precise treatment plan is based on the cause and stage of the tumour Furthermore. overall health and age of the patient also play a crucial role. Besides, new treatment approaches such as biological therapy are being studied. However. surgery remains the only curative therapy for stomach cancer.
Prevention
Preventing this type of cancer is very difficult. However. one can minimize the risk of developing cancer by keeping body weight under control, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating a nutritious, low fat, balanced diet. Exercising daily, quitting smoking and alcohol also reduces the risk of gastric or stomach cancer.