Gastric Cancer

WHAT IS IT?

Approximately 24,000 new cases of gastric cancer are diagnosed each year in this country. And there are about 700,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide.

In the United States, over the past few decades, there has been a drop in the frequency of distal gastric cancer, that is, gastric cancer located toward the intestine. However, proximal gastric cancer, or that toward the esophagus, and GE junction cancer has been on the increase. Also, the age of onset has been dropping.

The survival rates for gastric cancer vary based how advanced the disease has become. When cancer is detected early, the survival rate 5 years after diagnosis ranges from 10% to 50%. Once distant parts of the body have become involved, the 5-year rate drops to almost zero.

RISK FACTORS

• Age: The incidence of gastric cancer increases gradually with
  increasing age. People in their sixties have the highest occurrence.
• Gender: Gastric cancer is more common among men than women.
• Race: There is a higher incidence of gastric cancer among African
  Americans than Caucasians.
• Diet: Frequency of gastric cancer may be associated with high intakes
  of dried, salted foods.
• Medical factors: gastric cancer is more common among individuals with
  histories of the following conditions: pernicious anemia, atrophic
  gastritis (Menetrier's disease), intestinal polyps (noncancerous
  mushroom-shaped growths), previous gastric cancer.
• Infection by Heliobacter pylori: This species of bacteria is related
  to stomach ulcers, yet ulcers themselves do not seem to be associated
  with gastric cancer.
• Smoking: There is a higher risk of gastric cancer among smokers than
  among nonsmokers.

To learn more about gastric cancer, click here (PDF file).