STOMACH CANCER

Stomach or gastric cancer can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs and the liver. Stomach cancer causes nearly one million deaths worldwide per year.
Stomach cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide with 930,000 cases diagnosed in 2002. It is a disease with a high death rate (700,000 per year) making it the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide after lung cancer. It is more common in men.
It represents roughly 2% (25,500 cases) of all new cancer cases yearly in the United States, but it is much more common in Korea, Japan, Great Britain, South America, and Iceland.
Gastric cancer has very high incidence in Korea and Japan. It is the leading cancer type in Korea with 20.8% of malignant neoplasms, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.
Metastasis occurs in 80-90% of individuals with stomach cancer, with a six month survival rate of 65% in those diagnosed in early stages and less than 15% of those diagnosed in late stages.
Symptoms
Stomach cancer is often asymptomatic or causes only nonspecific symptoms in its early stages. By the time symptoms occur, the cancer has generally metastasized to other parts of the body, one of the main reasons for its poor prognosis. Stomach cancer can cause the following signs and symptoms:
Early Indigestion or a burning sensation (heartburn) Loss of appetite, especially for meat LateAbdominal pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea or constipation Bloating of the stomach after meals Weight loss Weakness and fatigue Bleeding (vomiting blood or having blood in the stool), which can lead to anemia Dysphagia; this feature suggests a tumor in the cardia or extension of the gastric tumor in to the esophagus. These can be symptoms of other problems such as a stomach virus, gastric ulcer or tropical sprue and diagnosis should be done by a gastroenterologist or an oncologist