Stomach CancerSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer is cancer that starts in the stomach.
Cancer - stomach; Gastric cancer; Gastric carcinoma; Adenocarcinoma of the stomach
Several types of cancer can occur in the stomach. The most common type is called adenocarcinoma. It starts from one of the cell types found in the lining of the stomach.
Adenocarcinoma is a common cancer of the digestive tract. It is less common in the stomach in the United States, compared to Asia. It is diagnosed much more often in people in eastern Asia, parts of South America, and eastern and central Europe.
The number of people in the United States who develop this cancer has decreased over time. Experts think this decrease may be in part because people are eating less salted, cured, and smoked foods.
You are more likely to be diagnosed with gastric cancer if you:
- Have a diet low in fruits and vegetables
- Have a family history of gastric cancer
- Have an infection of the stomach by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H pylori)
- Had a polyp (abnormal growth) larger than 2 centimeters in your stomach
- Have inflammation and swelling of the stomach for a long time (chronic atrophic gastritis)
- Have pernicious anemia (low number of red blood cells from intestines not properly absorbing vitamin B12)
- Smoke
Symptoms of stomach cancer may include any of the following:
- Abdominal fullness or pain, which may occur after a small meal
- Dark stools
- Difficulty swallowing, which becomes worse over time
- Excessive belching
- General decline in health
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting blood
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight loss
Surgery to remove the stomach (gastrectomy) before the cancer has spread is the standard treatment that can cure adenocarcinoma of the stomach. Chemotherapy may be given before and after surgery to improve outcomes.
For people who cannot have surgery, chemotherapy or radiation may improve symptoms and may prolong survival, but will not cure the cancer. For some people, a surgical bypass procedure may relieve symptoms.
Winship Cancer Institute At Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
David Kooby is a Surgical Oncologist practicing medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been practicing medicine for over 32 years. Dr. Kooby is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Stomach Cancer. He is also highly rated in 39 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Pancreatic Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Pancreatectomy. Dr. Kooby is board certified in American Board Of Surgery, 2002.
Winship Cancer Institute At Emory Midtown
Kenneth Cardona is a Surgical Oncologist practicing medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been practicing medicine for over 24 years. Dr. Cardona is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Stomach Cancer. He is also highly rated in 37 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Liposarcoma, Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Pancreatectomy. Dr. Cardona is board certified in American Board Of Surgery, 2010.
Shishir Maithel is a Surgical Oncologist practicing medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He has been practicing medicine for over 26 years. Dr. Maithel is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Stomach Cancer. He is also highly rated in 29 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Gallbladder Cancer, Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor, Pancreaticoduodenectomy, and Hepatectomy. Dr. Maithel is board certified in American Board Of Surgery - Surgery (Certified).
You can ease the stress of illness by joining a cancer support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.
Your outlook varies based on how much the cancer has spread by the time of diagnosis. Tumors in the lower stomach are cured more often than those in the upper stomach. The chance of a cure also depends on how far the tumor has invaded the stomach wall and whether lymph nodes are involved.
When the tumor has spread outside the stomach, a cure is less likely. When a cure is not possible, the goal of treatment is to improve symptoms and prolong life.
Contact your health care provider if you develop symptoms of gastric cancer.
Screening programs are successful in detecting disease in the early stages in parts of the world where the risk for stomach cancer is much higher than in the United States. The value of screening in the United States and other countries with much lower rates of stomach cancer is not clear.
The following may help reduce your risk for stomach cancer:
- Do not smoke.
- Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
- Take medicines to treat reflux disease (heartburn), if you have it.
- Take antibiotics if you are diagnosed with H pylori infection.
Summary: The iGreenGO Study aims to investigate whether the intraoperative application of NIR/ICG technology is associated with a change in the surgical conduct (CSC) during curative-intent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy in a cohort of Western patients affected by AGC. The preoperative clinical variables potentially associated with CSC will be also investigated
Summary: Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has become the standard first-line treatment regimen for gastric cancer. However, a subset of patients still fail to benefit or derive only limited benefit from this approach. This study aims to evaluate the addition of immunomodulatory EZH2 inhibitors or anti-angiogenic agents to the baseline regimen of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, in order to...
Published Date: October 14, 2024
Published By: Warren Brenner, MD, Oncologist, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Ku GY, Ilson DH. Cancer of the stomach. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 72.
National Cancer Institute website. Gastric cancer treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/stomach/hp/stomach-treatment-pdq. Updated February 21, 2025. Accessed March 4, 2025.
Quante M, Bornschein J. Adenocarcinoma of the stomach and other gastric tumors. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 54.