Gastric cancer is also called stomach cancer. It starts when the cells in a person’s stomach grow faster than usual. This abnormally fast cell growth usually begins in the gastroesophageal junction or the area between the stomach and esophagus. As the ailment progresses, the abnormal cell growth starts in the stomach’s deeper layers. To avoid this, one must treat the cancer quite early. Patients should also understand the various causes and symptoms of gastric cancer.

Common causes
It is not yet known what exactly causes gastric cancer. However, it has been observed that the disease is set off when the stomach lining gets injured or damaged. This can happen when someone has a prolonged infection, eats salty foods, or develops acid reflux frequently. However, not everyone who has these risk factors will have stomach cancer.

When the stomach’s lining is injured or damaged, it may change the DNA of the cells. This change can lead the cells to multiply, grow at an abnormal rate, and destroy a person’s healthy cells and body tissue. The extra cells in the stomach combine to form a tumor as time passes.

Common symptoms
In the early stages, gastric cancer does not cause any visible symptoms. In most cases, one may experience a constant pain in the upper part of the stomach. Sometimes, frequent indigestion may also occur. Patients may notice these signs more clearly as the cancer progresses to the advanced stages. Then, one may start developing some of these common symptoms of gastric cancer:

• Difficulty in swallowing
• Abdomen pain
• Experiencing bloating after meals
• Feeling full with just small portions of food
• Not feeling hungry
• Frequent heartburn
• Frequent indigestion
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Dark appearance of stools

When gastric cancer enters the advanced stages, it may start spreading to other areas of the body. This is known as metastatic gastric cancer. In these cases, the symptoms are often specific to the region where the cancer has spread. For example, one may feel lumps under the skin if the cancerous cells have spread to the lymph nodes. Or, a person may experience yellowing in the eyes and skin if the cancer has spread to the liver.

Management options for gastric cancer
Most of the time, experts choose a treatment for gastric cancer based on its stage. Doctors also consider the person’s health and preferences while deciding which treatment will work best for them. Generally, a care team of several specialists and experts, such as primary care doctors, oncologists, and gastroenterologists, are involved in the process. They work toward developing a treatment plan that will be most effective. A treatment plan usually combines two or more of these processes: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.