Also called gastric cancer, like other cancers it consists of the uncontrolled growth of cells that go from being normal to abnormal and produce the malignant or cancerous tumor. Although there are several types of cancer that can be generated in the stomach, it is established that the most common is adenocarcinoma, which is generated by the previously expressed behavior of the cells found in the glands that make up the inner lining of the stomach.
The typology of stomach cancer is defined in the origin of the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, which can occur in any of the internal layers that this organ has, which are called mucosa, muscular and serous.
In the same way, although to a lesser extent, other types of malignant tumors can be generated in the stomach, which include gastric sarcoma, lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), carcinoid tumors, squamous cell carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma and carcinoma of the small cells.
As in other cancers, malignant cells can spread or multiply to other areas of the body (metastasize).
The exact causes or reasons for the generation of stomach cancer are unknown. However, there are risk factors that increase the chances of a person being diagnosed with this type of cancer, among which are: hereditary predisposition to cancer, a diet low in consumption of vegetables and fruits or high in smoked products and seasoned, poor food preparation, having suffered from infection by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, having suffered from chronic atrophic gastritis for a long period of time, pernicious anemia, smoking, having had a polyp larger than two centimeters.
As for the symptoms and signs, these are absent in the initial phase of cancer and vary according to the type of cancer, the ones that occur more frequently are: abdominal pain, loss of weight and appetite, frequent feeling of fullness, heartburn and indigestion, discomfort in the abdomen (above the navel), nausea, fluid in the abdomen, vomiting (in some cases with blood) and anemia.
Stomach or gastric cancer is diagnosed mainly in men over 40 years of age, being the natives of South America, eastern Asia and central and eastern Europe, those who are mostly diagnosed with this disease.
This cancer can be diagnosed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a blood test and / or radiological scans.
