1. The frequency of stomach cancer was significantly more in America when people of this country used to take higher quantities of cured and preserved foods. Avoiding all kinds of preserved food items will reduce your chances of having stomach cancer by a big margin.
2. Limit the intake of highly pickled or smoked food items to prevent the onset of this cancer type. Avoiding salted fish and meats is also necessary for successful stomach cancer prevention.
3. Include more fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Your diet should also include plenty of whole grains. Incorporating these changes in your dietary habits will reduce your chances of developing stomach cancer.
4. Smoking and too much alcohol consumption are two other factors increasing one’s risk of getting this cancer type. Staying way form these two ill habits will benefit you immensely and work as an effective tool of stomach cancer prevention.
5. Green tea is known to possess great antioxidant properties. Regular intake of this tea is known to prevent stomach cancer.
6. If you are experiencing a pin or headache have a dose of NSAIDs like aspirin. This will decrease you chances of suffering from stomach cancer by close to 25%.
7. If you are experiencing signs like persistent pain in the abdomen, excessive vomiting etc, get yourself checked by your doctor immediately. Doing so is even more essential for people who are at risk of developing stomach cancer.

Stage IIIB:

In this stage the stomach cancer starts growing outside the patient’s stomach linings. Patients suffering from this stage of stomach cancer develop cancerous tumors within their inner stomach linings; however the cancer can spread up to the stomach’s outer layers. In stage IIIB of stomach cancer, the cancer invades the patient’s lymph nodes. When not treated in the right way or left untreated, stomach cancer of this stage starts progressing extremely rapidly.

Stage IIIC:

In this stage, the stomach cancer starts migrating into the other organs and tissues of the patient’s body. The affected organs are tissues mostly are located surrounding the stomach. The cancer cells also spread into lymph nodes resulting in inflammation and pain in the lymph nodes. A patient in stage IIIC of stomach cancer might also develop cancerous tumors in his or her liver, intestines or pancreas. However, in this stage the cancer does not reach the distant organs of the patient’s body.

Stage IV:

This stage of stomach cancer is marked by the growth of cancerous tumors in the distant tissues and organs of the patient’s body. The spreading of the cancer into the lymph nodes allows the cancer cells in traveling almost to every part of the body via lymphatic system. Other than this, the cancer cells in the stomach also start invading the bloodstream. In stage IV usually the cancer reaches the bone tissues, brain, lungs and liver of the patient. In some women, the cancer might also reach the ovaries. As in this stage different organs of the patient experience tumor growth, there’s a possibility that he or she becomes a victim of multiple organ failure.

Aromatherapy: This treatment procedure involves use of essential oils extracted from herbs for reducing pain and promoting relaxation. Chamomile oil is often used to reduce the pain experienced by patients in advanced stage of stomach cancer. Cancer patients might become victims of mental problems like depression and anxiety; inhaling essential oils like ylang-ylang, frankincense, rose and lavender can relieve these patients from these mental disorders. However, patients undergoing chemotherapy must consult a physician before using essential oils for managing the symptoms of stomach cancer.

Massage: Undergoing massage therapy sessions can help stomach cancer patients by improving their emotional health. However, the sessions must be carried out by an experienced professional. Massage done by a qualified therapist can also eliminate the cancer related pain instantly. Common mental health problems experienced by cancer patients for instance sleep disorders, anxiety and stress can also be managed effectively with massage therapy. Before opting for this procedure for stomach cancer management, you must seek permission from your doctor.

Support group: Every state in the USA has support groups dedicated to cancer survivors. You can ask you oncologist about the best support group in your state or city. Members of this group meet to share their experiences of cancer treatment and the pain they had to suffer. Listening to people who have experienced similar discomforts will help you in coping with the changes in your life due to stomach cancer more easily. Most of these support groups also has in-house psychologists and counselors.

1. Upper endoscopy: During this procedure, a slim tube having a small camera gets passed down the patient’s throat to reach his stomach. The images taken by the camera will allow the doctor to check for the signs and symptoms of cancer. In case of suspicion about the occurrence of stomach cancer, the doctor might take out some tissues from the affected region for analysis through a procedure called biopsy.

2. Other imaging tests: These include procedures like barium swallow (a type of X-ray), computerized tomography or CT.

There are also some diagnostic procedures that help the doctor to determine the stage your stomach cancer is in. Knowing the stage of the cancer will allow the doctor to decide the kind of treatment that will suit you the best. The procedures that are used for determining stages of stomach cancer are:

1. Imaging tests: The common imaging tests recommended to stomach cancer patients are: MRI, CT or computerized tomography and PET or position emissions tomography.

2. Exploratory surgery: This surgical procedure is done for allowing the doctor to check for stomach cancer signs in the stomach and whether those signs have spread beyond the stomach i.e. is other parts of the abdomen. Generally, this surgical procedure is conducted laparoscopically. The surgeon will make a tiny incision in the patient’s abdomen, through which he will insert a camera. This camera will be transmitting images that will be displayed on a monitor.

The 4 main stages of stomach cancer are:

Stage I: Tumor stays limited to tissues lining the inner part of the patient’s stomach. A few lymph nodes around the stomach might also have some cancer cells.

Stage II: Cancer spreads to the muscle layers of stomach wall. The number of adjacent lymph nodes having cancer cells increases.

Stage III: Cancer might grow to every layer of the patient’s stomach; or in case of smaller cancers, the number of lymph nodes having cancer cells increases further.

Stage IV: Cancer spreads beyond the patient’s stomach; it might attack the adjacent organs.

Cancer treatment is either local or systematic therapy.

• Local Therapy –Local therapies like surgery and radiation therapies help in removal and eradication of cancer that might be present in or in close proximity to the stomach. When the stomach cancer metastasizes or has proliferated to other areas of the body, then in such cases local therapy might be used for controlling the disease in those particular areas.
• Systemic Therapy – Systemic therapy like chemotherapy employ the use of drugs that enter the bloodstream and annihilate or curb the disease all through the body.

As cancer treatments mostly cause harm to the healthy tissues and cells, hence it is common to experience side effects that depend chiefly on the kind and the degree of treatment. Side effects might vary for each individual and from one treatment sitting to the other.

Prior to commencing on the treatment, the health care team would elucidate to the patient about the probable side effects and propose means to assist in managing them.

Surgery

Surgery is the widely prevalent form of stomach cancer treatment that is dependent on the extent of the disease. There are two key types of stomach cancer surgery available:

• Partial or subtotal gastrectomy – This involves removal of a section of the stomach that has the presence of the malignant form. The surgeon would additionally eliminate certain sections of the esophagus and section of the small intestine. Lymph nodes and tissues that lie in the adjacent areas might also be taken out.
• Total gastrectomy – The doctor totally removes the stomach, the adjacent lymph nodes, sections of the esophagus and small intestine, and other types of tissues located close to the tumor. The spleen might additionally be eliminated subsequent to which the esophagus is directly attached to the small intestine. By using the tissues from the intestine, the surgeon would make a new stomach.

There are bound to be concerns regarding eating following stomach cancer surgery. During the course of the surgery, a feeding tube is inserted within the small intestine that assists in providing adequate nutrition while the patient is recuperating.

The healing period would vary in each case. One might feel discomfort during the initial few days. Medications could assist in allaying the pain. Several people that have undergone stomach surgery might experience weariness or weakness for a while. Constipation or diarrhea is also reported following surgery. Such symptoms generally could be managed by varying the diet and medications. Any symptoms of bleeding, infection or other kinds of problems could also need to be treated.

Chemotherapy

This procedure involves the intravenous administration of anticancer drugs that after gaining entry within the bloodstream aid in killing the cancer cells and could majorly affect cancerous growth all through the body. However, certain drugs might be given orally.

Several persons undergo chemotherapy following surgery while in other situations radiation therapy might be administered alongside chemotherapy. The chemotherapy sessions might be given at a clinic in a hospital, the doctor’s office or at the patient’s residence. There might be others requiring hospitalization during treatment.

The side effects arising due to chemotherapy are dependent chiefly on the particular drugs and the dosage. The drugs are known to combat cancer cells and other cells that quickly proliferate.

• Blood cells – Such cells assist in combating infection, assist in blood clotting and transporting oxygen to all areas of the body. When blood cells get affected due to the drugs, the patient is more prone to infections, bruising or easy bleeding and would constantly feel weakness and fatigue.
• Hair root cells – Hair loss could occur due to chemotherapy drugs. Though there would be re-growth, the colour and texture might feel quite different.
• Cells lining the digestive tract – Chemotherapy could lead to loss in appetite, feeling nauseous, vomiting, diarrhoea or sores forming in the mouth and lip.

The drugs administered for treating stomach cancer might additionally lead to skin rashes or itchiness.

Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)

This procedure employs high-power beams for eradicating the cancer cells. This is a target-specific kind of treatment done using a mammoth machine that emits the radiation. The duration of the treatment is generally five days per week spanning for several weeks.

Side effects are dependent on the dosage of radiation and what part of the body is undergoing the treatment. When radiation therapy is carried out in the abdominal region, it could lead to pain and discomfort in the stomach or intestinal region. One might feel nauseous and get diarrhea. The area of the skin that is being treated might redden, dry up and might show tenderness.

One is prone to experience significant weariness during the course of the radiation therapy, particularly so in the later part of the weeks of the treatment. Though taking adequate rest is crucial, however doctors normally suggest that patients must attempt to continue staying as energetic as they possibly could.

Though the side effects arising due to radiation therapy could be agonising, the doctor would generally treat or try to curb them. Side effects normally subside after the treatment concludes.

Stomach Cancer Causes:

The precise reasons for the occurrence of stomach cancer is still unknown with many doctors baffled by the fact that the disease develops in some individuals and not in others.

Studies have revealed that those individuals having particular risk factors have greater likelihood of developing stomach cancer. A risk factor is something that might raise the probability of contracting the disease.

Research has revealed that risk factors for stomach cancer are:

• Age – Majority of individuals detected with this disease are aged at 72 years and above.
• Sex – Men are known to have greater chances of developing stomach cancer as compared to women
• Race- Stomach cancer is more prevalent among particular races like Asians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics and Afro-Americans as compared to the Non-Hispanic white American populace.
• Dietetic intake – Research indicate that individuals that ate a diet rich in foods prepared by smoking, salting or pickling might be at elevated risk of developing stomach cancer. Conversely, diet rich in fresh fruits and veggies were noted to provide safeguard from this disease.
• Helicobacter pylori infection (H.pylori) – A bacterial form habitually residing in the stomach that is known to raise the chances of inflammation and ulcers in the stomach. Also known to increase the likelihood of stomach cancer, though merely a small segment of populace infected with this bacterial form develop stomach cancer.
• Though the infection raises the risk, cancer is non-infectious in nature and cannot be contracted from another person that has the disease.
• Smoking – Those that smoke have a greater likelihood of developing stomach cancer as compared to those that didn’t smoke.
• Presence of certain health conditions- Certain conditions that lead to inflammation or other forms of problems that affect the stomach, might increase the chances of stomach cancer.
  • A past history of stomach surgery.
  • Long-standing inflammation in the lining of the stomach known as chronic gastritis.
  • Presence of Pernicious anemia – a kind of blood ailment known to affect the stomach.
• Family history of an atypical kind of stomach cancer that is known to run in few families. Several individuals with identified risk factors fail to develop stomach cancer whereas those that had no recognised risk factors were noted to develop the disease. For instance, several individuals with the presence of H. pylori in their stomach were observed to never contract the disease. If one perceives the presence of a risk element, then it is important to get in touch with the doctor who would be best able to recommend ways of lowering one’s risk and could chart out a schedule for examinations to be conducted.

Stomach Cancer Symptoms:

Preliminary stages of stomach cancer mostly are asymptomatic, however as the disease progresses, the most prevalent symptoms include:

• A sense of discomfort in the stomach region.
• Experiencing fullness or distended even subsequent to a small-sized portion meal.
• Feeling nauseous and vomiting.
• Loss in weight.

Quite regularly, the symptoms are the outcome of some other health condition like ulcer or infection that could be eliciting similar symptoms. Those experiencing these symptoms must promptly inform the doctor so that early detection and treatment could be conducted.