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CRC - STOMACH CANCER

Source: www.cancer.org
Topic: Stomach
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Sort Desciption: Stomach cancer is a cancer that starts in the stomach. The medical name for stomach cancer is gastric cancer. ...

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Stomach cancer is a cancer that starts in the stomach. The medical name for stomach cancer is gastric cancer.

After food is chewed and swallowed, it enters the esophagus, a tube-shaped organ that carries food through the neck and chest. The esophagus joins the stomach just beneath the diaphragm (the breathing muscle under the lungs). The stomach is a sack-like organ that holds food and begins the digestive process by secreting gastric juice. The food and gastric juice are mixed into a thick fluid called chyme, which is then emptied into the first part of the small intestine called the duodenum.

In nonmedical conversation, the word "stomach" is often used to refer to the area of the body between the chest and the pelvic area. For instance, some patients with diseases of the appendix, small intestine, colon (large intestine), or gallbladder may say they have a "stomach ache." The medical term for this area is abdomen. And, doctors would describe this symptom as "abdominal pain." This point is also very important in considering cancers. The stomach is only one of many organs in the abdomen in which cancers may develop. It is important not to confuse stomach cancer with cancers of the colon (large intestine), liver, pancreas, small intestine, or gallbladder, because these cancers may have different symptoms, a different prognosis(the outlook for chances of survival) and different treatments.

The stomach is divided into five different sections. The upper portion (closest to the esophagus) of the stomach is the proximal stomach. Some cells of this area of the stomach produce acid and pepsin (a digestive enzyme), the ingredients of the gastric juice that help digest food. The lower portion (closest to the intestine) is the distal stomach. This area includes the antrum, where the food is mixed with gastric juice, and the pylorus, which acts as a valve to control emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine.

The stomach has two curves which form its upper and lower borders. They are called the lesser and greater curves, respectively. Other organs next to the stomach include the colon, liver, spleen, small intestine, and pancreas.

Cancer can develop in any of the five sections of the stomach. Cancers beginning in these different sections may produce different symptoms and tend to have different outcomes. The location can also affect some of the treatment options that are available.

Stomach cancers are believed to develop slowly over many years. Before a true cancer develops, there are usually precancerous changes that occur in the lining of the stomach. These early changes rarely produce symptoms and therefore often go undetected.

If left untreated, stomach cancers can spread by several different means. They can grow through the wall of the stomach and involve the nearby organs. They can also spread through the bloodstream or lymph system to form distant colonies of cancer called metastasis. ...

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