Stomach Cancer Diagnosed and Treated by GI Doctors at Mercy

Stomach cancer, or gastric cancer, occurs when cells in the stomach lining grow abnormally. These cells in the stomach lining grow rapidly and continue to grow after normal cells would have died. As these abnormal cells grow, they form tumors that can be cancerous. 

Stomach cancer symptoms often do not occur early in the cancer process, making it hard to diagnose early. By the time stomach cancer symptoms appear, the cancer may have spread to other areas.

Early stomach cancer symptoms may include heartburn, abdominal pain, and microscopic internal bleeding. Additional stomach cancer symptoms include discomfort in the upper and middle abdomen, vomiting blood, weakness, and fatigue, although having these symptoms do not necessarily indicate stomach cancer.

An upper endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, or stomach X-rays can be performed to diagnose stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer treatment options depend on the stage of cancer. If the stomach cancer is contained to the stomach lining, an endoscopic mucosal resection can be performed using an endoscope to remove the cancer.

In other stomach cancer cases, it may be necessary to surgically remove either a portion of the stomach or the entire stomach. Radiation and chemotherapy or a combination of both therapies may be needed prior to or after stomach cancer surgery.