The stomach, an organ located in the upper abdomen, is part of the digestive system and connects the esophagus to the small intestine. Muscles and gastric juices in the stomach help break down food into a liquid before it is passed into the intestines.

Risk factors:
Risk factors of stomach cancer include:

• Heliobacter pylori - Infection of stomach with H. pylori bacteria, a common cause of ulcers
• Smoking
• Alcohol abuse
• Diet heavy in foods preserved by pickling, salting, or smoking

Symptoms:

In the early stages, the symptoms of stomach cancer are often hard to distinguish from other less serious stomach ailments.

Symptoms of stomach cancer may include:

• abdominal pain including indegestion or heartburn
• nausea and vomitting sometimes accompanied by blood
• diarrhea or constipation
• blood in the stool
• bloating/loss of appetite
• weakness and fatigue

Treatment:

Surgery (partial or total gastrectomy) is the most common treatment for stomach cancer, where the surgeon will remove all or part of the stomach including the tumor. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often used in conjunction with surgery in both preoperative and postoperative settings.

Stomach cancer can be difficult to cure unless it is found at an early stage, however, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are all viable options for treatment individually or in combination.

Patients with complex stomach cancers may be eligible to participate in one of UAB's clinical trials.