Cancer is a good example of a disease where it’s strike rate can be greatly reduced
by the individual taking precautionary measures. The incidence of cancer can, in
some cases, be reduced by more than 50% by taking simple preventative actions.

The first preventative measure that should be taken is adequate exposure to direct
sunlight.The effect of direct sunlight on the skin produces vitamin D, which is vital
to good health. While some vitamin D can be obtained from food sources, the
individual is unlikely to get enough from sources other than the sun. The exposure
for white people need only be 10-15 minutes a day 3 or 4 times a week. However, the
further you live from the equator, the more exposure you need. It should be noted
that people with dark skin pigmentation require 20 times the exposure stated above
to create the same amount of vitamin D. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial
to calcium absorbption in the intestines.

The individual can further reduce his/her susceptibility to this disease by
the choice of foods eaten at meal times. Limit your intake of meat, butter, eggs
and cheese.These foods contain animal fats which increase your risk of developing certain types of
cancer (breast, prostate, intestine and pancreas). Eat more fish and poultry
instead.

Eating a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables ( tomatoes, carrots, leeks, cabbage,
broccoli and onions etc ) helps protect the body against cancer of the colon,
stomach, rectum and lungs. These are also rich in vitamins A, B and C, all of
which help to fight free radicals and thereby prevent cancer.

Eat wholegrain bread for its fiber content.Fiber improves intestinal functions
and helps protect against colon cancer.

Get as much vitamin C as possible by eating fruits like kiwi,apple. black currant,
raw turnip,sorrel, raw green pepper, raw green cabbage and citrus fruits. Also
season salads with parsley which is very rich in vitamin C.

Avoid smoked, salted and barbecued foods which contain substances that are
potentially carcinogenic, especially as far as stomach cancer is concerned.

Because of the variables with the nutrient value of food dependent upon where it came from, how fresh it is, how it is stored and how it is cooked, it may be prudent to take a daily food supplement to ensure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals. The important vitamins are A, the B-complex group, C, D and E. Because vitamins are largely ineffective without minerals, it is best to take a combined multivitamin and mineral tablet or capsule to make sure there are no deficiencies. These are readily available at health food stores, and can be bought via the Internet for delivery in the mail.

Don’t let yourself get too fat: persons who are 40% or more above their normal
weight stand a much higher risk of getting cancer.

British researchers found that chemo cut the risk of death by 25 percent compared to just surgery alone

It also improved the rate of survival and cut the risk of the cancer returning.

Currently the standard treatment for stomach cancer is surgery, were all or part of the stomach is removed. If caught early, chance of survival increases significantly.

Chemo cut the risk of death by a quarter compared to surgery alone, according to the study published in Thursday‘s New England Journal of Medicine. It also shrank tumors and improved survival without a return of cancer.

Lead by Dr. David Cuningham of Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton and London, researchers examined 503 patients. Doctors gave the patients with operable stomach cancer chemotherapy both before and after surgery.

‘Clinicians can have confidence in the solid evidence that peri-operative therapy improves the outcome for patients with respectable gastric cancer,’ Cuningham told United Press International. He also said the trial was well-designed and well-executed and had enough patients to show that the results did not appear to occur by chance.

RISK GROUPS

Cancer of the stomach is twice as common in men as it is in women, and most people who develop this type of cancer are over the age of 50 years. Stomach cancer is very rare in people under 40. Even so, get yourself checked out by a doctor who will be able to give you a proper diagnosis.

CAUSES OF STOMACH CANCER

Stomach cancer can be caused by a number of factors that damage the DNA in your stomach cells. When the DNA is damaged, healthy cells can grow out of control and form a tumor (a mass of malignant cells).

These factors include:

H Pylori infection – 75% of the world’s population is infected with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H Pylori) that lives deep in the mucous layer which coats the lining of your stomach. It is the primary cause of stomach ulcers, accounting for at least 80 percent of all cases. Also, the World Health Organization have indicated that close to 50% of the annual new cases of stomach cancer can be attributed to H Pylori infection.

If 75% of the world’s population is infected with the Helicobacter Pylori bacterium, that means that right now 4.6 billion people are infected across the world. Having ulcers doesn’t necessarily put you at higher risk of stomach cancer, but having H Pylori infection does.

Statistics show that 816 million of those infected with H Pylori bacterium right now will develop a stomach ulcer in their lifetime.

That means that 1 in every 7 people (or 17.7% of the current population) are at high risk, and 1 in every 14 people will get stomach cancer from H Pylori. That is an astounding 408 million people.

Nitrates and nitrites – these chemicals are added to certain foods, such as processed or cured meats such as ham and bacon, sausages and other cold meats you normally find down at the deli. Nitrates and nitrites combine with other substances in your stomach to form carcinogens, which are known to cause stomach cancer.

Salted, smoked or pickled foods and red meat – in countries where consumption of salted meat and fish and pickled vegetables is high, the corresponding rates of stomach cancer are also high. Consuming high levels of red meat, especially when the meat is barbecued or well done, has also been linked to stomach cancer.

Tobacco and alcohol use – Both can irritate the stomach lining and are especially likely to cause cancer in the upper stomach area.

Low income groups – children and adults from low income groups are more likely to develop stomach cancer than are those in higher income groups. This is due to a number of reasons. The main problem is in poor countries with poor sanitation and unhygienic living conditions where H Pylori spreads quite quickly.

PREVENTION

From the above it is clear that the easiest way to prevent stomach cancer is to know the causes. Eradicating the H Pylori bacterium is the going to take most of the risk away but then you will also need to adjust your diet and general hygiene.
SYMPTOMS

# The most common symptom is a gnawing or burning pain in your stomach just below your sternum
# Stomach pains are triggered by hunger and occur between meals and in the early hours of the morning
# Pains can be sharp or dull
# Bloating of the stomach
# Pain can come and go over long periods of time
# The passing of foul smelling black, tarry stools could be one of the first symptoms of a gastric ulcer or a duodenal ulcer that has started bleeding
# dark red blood in your stools
# If your ulcer is already at an advanced stage then repeated and different signs of bleeding can be identified.
# Vomiting of new blood which is bright red in color – this indicates that a gastric ulcer has started bleeding. This will be accompanied by repeated episodes of nausea.
# Vomiting dark and grainy blood that looks like instant coffee granules. The dark color indicates that this is old blood.
# unplanned weight loss
# faintness and dizziness when standing up – this is due to loss of blood. Over a long period of time, you may become anemic and feel weak, dizzy, or tired all the time. This is typical of a slow bleed left untreated.

TYPES OF STOMACH CANCER

Most stomach cancers start in the glandular cells in the mucous layer which coats the lining of your stomach, and are called adenocarcinomas.

Although most stomach cancers are adenocarcinomas, there are other forms of the disease, including:
Lymphomas, Carcinoid tumors, and GIST’s (or gastrointestinal stromal tumors)

TREATMENT

The primary goal of any effective treatment is to remove the cancer. Choosing a treatment plan is a major decision, and it’s important spend some time researching all the options to make sure the treatment you select is right for you. It is always worthwhile getting a second opinion if you are unsure.

Treatment options include Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation therapy, and Clinical trials.

If you are at an advanced stage, you may be offered participation in a clinical trial. Beware! You may be used as a guinea-pig to test new new drugs, surgery or radiation. You must remember that the treatments used in clinical trials are experimental and have no recorded success rates. You could experience unexpected side effects, and there will be no guarantees offered.

Types of stomach cancer

There are a few different types of stomach cancers. However, the most well known stomach cancer is the one that occurs in the glandular cells of the stomach. This type of stomach cancer is also known as adenocarcinomas. Then there are other types of stomach cancer (based on the cells that are affected by cancer).

Causes of stomach cancer

There is a lot of research going on for ascertaining the exact causes of the stomach cancer. As of now, stomach cancer is known to happen more in older people i.e. people above 60 years of age. Some theories also suggest that certain conditions of stomach (including some types of stomach infections) could also increase the risk of stomach cancer. There are also suggestions of stomach cancer being linked to genes.

Symptoms of stomach cancer

The currently known symptoms of stomach cancer cannot really point to stomach cancer. As you would have imagined, the stomach cancer symptoms include things like indigestion, nausea, pain, tiredness etc. In case you feel that you are displaying some or all symptoms, you should consult a qualified doctor and get a check-up done. This can help in not only allaying your fears of stomach cancer but also help in early detection of stomach cancer (and thus facilitate treatment of stomach cancer).

Diagnosis of stomach cancer

You should make a note of and narrate the symptoms to the doctor as best as you can. This can really be helpful to the doctor doing the diagnosis. The diagnosis of stomach cancer will generally start with blood test and stool test. Endoscopy could be the next test in line for stomach cancer. In fact, endoscopy is quite effective in detecting stomach cancer. The cells collected from stomach are taken up for biopsy for further ascertaining the presence of stomach cancer. Couples of other stomach cancer detection techniques are used too but endoscopy seems to be the most common one.

Treatment of stomach cancer

Like most other cancer types, stomach cancer treatment is also carried out mostly through surgery. However, chemotherapy could also form part of your treatment. Depending on the need, the doctor might also advise radiotherapy for treatment of stomach cancer.