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, which is one of the main reasons for its poor prognosis. Stomach cancer can cause the following signs and symptoms: Loss of appetite, Difficulty swallowing, particularly difficulty that increases over time, Vague abdominal fullness, Nausea and vomiting, Vomiting blood, Abdominal pain, Excessive belching, Breath odor, Excessive gas, Unintentional weight loss, A general decline in health, Premature abdominal fullness after meals.

These can also be symptoms of other problems such as a stomach virus, stomach ulcer or tropical sprue and diagnosis should be carried out by a gastroenterologist or an oncologist. To find out what is the cause of the symptoms, the doctor will asks about the patient's medical history, does a physical examination, and may order laboratory studies. Unfortunately, since early stomach cancer causes little symptoms, the disease is often advanced when the diagnosis is made.

RISK: It is felt that many risk factors are involved including diet, gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori infection. You can diminish your risk of stomach cancer by making a few changes in your daily habits. Your risk of getting it is more if you have had a Helicobacter pylori infection, Have had inflammation of the stomach, Are a man who eats a great deal of salted, smoked, or pickled foods, Smoke cigarettes or have a family history of stomach cancer. Helicobacter pylori is the main risk factor in about 80 percent or more of gastric cancers.

TREATMENT: Like any cancer, treatment is adapted to fit each person's individual needs and depends on the size, location, and extent of the tumor, the stage of the disease, and general health.

The type of treatment you receive for gastric cancer depends on a number of factors, including the site of the cancer, how advanced it is, your overall health and your own personal preferences. The ultimate goal of any treatment is to eliminate the cancer completely.

CONCLUSION: Stomach cancer causes close to one million deaths worldwide annually. It often affects nearby organs and lymph nodes. A gastric tumor can grow through the stomach's outer layer into other neighboring organs, such as the pancreas, esophagus, or intestine. Metastasis occurs in 80-90% of individuals with gastric cancer, with a five year survival rate of 75% in those diagnosed in early stages and fewer than 30 percent of those diagnosed in late stages.

Because gastric cancer can spread to the liver, the pancreas, and other organs close to the stomach as well as to the lungs, the physician may order a CT scan, a PET scan, an endoscopic ultrasound exam, or other tests to check these areas. The use of chemo drugs to treat gastric cancer has no established standard of care. Although the incidence of gastric cancer has declined dramatically in the US and Western Europe in the past 60 years, the disease is still a serious problem in much of the rest of the world, where it's a leading cause of cancer death.