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STOMACH CANCER
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STOMACH CANCER
Stomach cancer, has become relatively uncommon in the United States, it is the most prevalent visceral cancer (second for men, fourth for women). Nevertheless, death rates have been declining since the 1930s to become only about 35% of what they were at that time. The decrease has been worldwide and for unexplained reasons. It remains the most prevalent carcinoma in East Asia, with the rate in Japan being more than seven times that in the United States, accounting for one-third of all cancer deaths on those islands.
The repetitive ingestion of high concentrations of salt irritates the stomach lining, and this has been proposed as a potential cause of gastric cancer. In fact, the decline in the incidence of this disease has been correlated with the decline in the salt preservation of foods. In regions in which stomach cancer remains common, such as Japan, salted seafood has remained a dietary staple. The incidence of gastric cancer among first-generation immigrants from Japan to the West is similar to that in their communities of origin, but it declines to the incidence of the Western community in which the next generation resides.
This suggests that the neoplastic process begins irreversibly during childhood, regardless of relocation or dietary changes after a certain age. Because this is not a genetically determined disease, a generation that has not been exposed to the inducing irritant of salt at a critical age presumably will not suffer inordinately from this neoplasm.
Most patients with stomach cancer do not get diagnosed until the disease is fairly advanced, due to lack of specifc symptoms for most stomach cancers. Fortunately, new developments in treatment offer more hope than ever before for the patient with this disease.
It is critical to be well-educated about stomach cancer. Making the right treatment choices can make the difference of life or death. Understanding what your choices are gives you the peace of mind of knowing you have done everything possible to fight stomach cancer successfully.
The Cancer Group Institute's material explains, in plain English, the definition, types, frequency, risk factors, symptoms, evaluation, historic and latest effective treatment for stomach cancer. We describe surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, and their results. We tell you everything you need to know the make the right choice today to deal with a stomach cancer problem.
