Stomach cancer or gastric cancer, is a fairly uncommon type of cancer. Stomach cancer, begins when cancer cells form in the inner lining of your stomach. These cells can grow into a tumor. The disease usually grows slowly over many years.
Although stomach cancer is about one-fourth as common as it was 70 years ago, 24,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. If caught early, the five-year survival rate is 90 percent. But, unfortunately, symptoms rarely occur until the disease spreads throughout the stomach and to other organs. At this advanced stage, the cancer is no longer treatable, and the five-year survival rate is only 3 percent.
And, here is the million-dollar question – how can you stop this stealthy, silent killer before it strikes you? Well, we can help you with that problem – you should arm yourself with knowledge by learning the risk factors and the warning signs of stomach cancer. Stomach cancer can be hard to detect because when the symptoms finally do occur, they are often so mild that the person ignores them.
According to the American Cancer Society, the following symptoms could indicate stomach cancer:
- indigestion or heartburn
- weakness and fatigue
- discomfort or pain in the abdomen
- nausea and vomiting
- bloating of the stomach after meals
- loss of appetite
- constipation or diarrhea
- bleeding (vomiting blood or having blood in the stool)
These are the most common factors that could increase your risk for developing stomach cancer include the following:
- age (over 55)
- gender (males are two-thirds more likely than women)
- diet high in foods that are smoked, dried, salted, or pickled
- smoking cigarettes and alcohol abuse
- previous stomach surgery
- family history of stomach cancer
- presence in stomach of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, which may cause ulcers
Note: you should be very careful and if you suffer from the warning signs of stomach cancer or are worried about your risk, talk to your doctor. He or she may refer you to a gastroenterologist (a physician who specializes in digestive disorders) for further evaluation.
Source: themagicoflife
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