What Month Is Stomach Cancer Awareness Month

June 30, 2022

The AACR has designated November as Gastric Cancer Awareness Month.

When does stomach cancer typically occur?

In 2021, there will have been 26,000 new instances of stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer). Different areas of the stomach are susceptible to stomach cancer growth. The symptoms, course of treatment, and results of cancer are influenced by its location.

What you should know about stomach cancer is as follows:

Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer rarely exhibits signs in its early stages. When symptoms do materialize, they could comprise:

  • a diminished appetite
  • Unwanted loss of weight
  • a sense of satiety following a little meal
  • heartburn or indigestion
  • vomit, occasionally with blood
  • abdominal swelling or fluid accumulation
  • feeble and weary
  • If liver cancer has spread, there will be jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin).

Cancer is not usually indicated by these symptoms. A viral infection is only one of the several issues they can be brought on by. Consult your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms, especially if they worsen.

Who Is At Risk for Stomach Cancer?

Potential risk factors for stomach cancer include the following:

  • GenderMen are more likely to develop stomach cancer.
  • AgeRisk rises as people age; the majority of patients are above 65.
  • Ethnicity
  • The majority of those that have it are Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans.
  • Geography
  • Compared to East Asia, Eastern Europe, and South and Central America, stomach cancer is less common in North America and Africa.
  • Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
  • H. pylori is more prevalent in stomach cancer patients than in non-cancer patients.
  • Obesity
  • Obesity and being overweight are connected to upper stomach malignancies.
  • Diet
  • People are at a higher risk if their diet consists primarily of grilled, charcoal-grilled, or processed meats with little or no fruit.
  • AlcoholYour risk increases if you consume more than three alcoholic beverages daily.
  • Tobacco
  • Smokers almost treble their risk of developing stomach cancer.
  • stomach surgery history
  • A increased risk applies to people who had a portion of their stomach removed owing to non-cancerous disorders.
  • stomach polyps in the past
  • Cancer can occasionally develop from adenomatous polyps.
  • Family historyWhether or not there is an inherited cancer syndrome in the family, stomach cancer risk is increased.
  • some professions
  • Stomach cancer is more common among those who work in the coal, metal, and rubber industries.
  • Stomach cancer is more likely to affect those with blood type A.

The risk of getting stomach cancer is elevated by uncommon disorders such pernicious anemia, Menetrier illness (hypertrophic gastropathy), inherited cancer syndromes, common variable immune weakness, and Epstein-Barr virus, for instance.

How Is Stomach Cancer Diagnosed?

Since routine stomach cancer screening is rarely performed in the US, the majority of cases of stomach cancer are discovered when a patient visits their doctor due to obvious symptoms. For stomach cancer, there is no one test. The diagnosis could be:

  • your medical background, signs, and risk factors
  • a physical examination that includes examining your abdomen for odd changes or symptoms
  • blood test to look for anemia brought on by gastric hemorrhage
  • To check for undetected blood in the stool, use the fecal occult blood test (FOBT).
  • Upright endoscopy
  • a tiny camera on a short tube allows the doctor to view your esophagus, small intestine, and, if necessary, take tiny tissue samples.
  • Biopsy
  • If endoscopic tissue samples were collected, they can be examined for signs of malignancy.
  • The lining of the esophagus, stomach, and a portion of the small intestine can be seen by your doctor during an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series X-ray.
  • A CT scan is a specialized form of X-ray that creates images of the soft tissues in and around the stomach.
  • Endoscopic ultrasonography is a procedure that involves inserting a tiny tube into the stomach to create images of the stomach and adjacent structures using sound waves.
  • Using a specific dye, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan can find areas of your body with strong chemical activity, such as cancer cells.
  • A test that can produce images of your body’s soft tissues is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

How Is Stomach Cancer Treated?

The location and stage of the cancer, your age, general health, and personal preferences are all important considerations when choosing a treatment plan. You could receive two or more therapies, such as:

  • certain medication therapy
  • radiation treatment

Typically, cancer therapy involves a team. Your care team throughout therapy could consist of:

  • Gastroenterologist
  • Oncologist in surgery
  • Oncologist in medicine
  • radiotherapy specialist
  • Assistant to the doctor
  • nursing assistant
  • specialist in nutrition

Can Stomach Cancer be Prevented?

Your risk of stomach cancer may be decreased by making certain lifestyle decisions, such as:

  • Keep a healthy weight.
  • Engage in regular exercise
  • Limit or avoid alcohol
  • Consume a balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Reduce your intake of processed foods, red and processed meats, and sugary beverages.

Consult your doctor about the best preventive measures if you have an inherited risk factor, such as Lynch syndrome or hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC).

Make an appointment right once if you want to discuss your risk of stomach cancer with a doctor or if you have stomach cancer symptoms that aren’t getting better.

Which ribbon color represents stomach cancer?

Support for persons dealing with gastric or stomach cancer is shown by wearing a delicate, powder-blue ribbon. Despite being the third biggest cause of cancer deaths worldwide, stomach cancer still receives little attention, according to the nonprofit No Stomach For Cancer.

November is National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month, which is important for spreading awareness of the illness and generating money for research.

Is there a ribbon for stomach cancer?

As with other cancer kinds, a colored ribbon, in this case one that is periwinkle blue, is used to indicate stomach cancer. Wearing the ribbon enables people to demonstrate their support for the awareness campaign and may inspire them to start a discussion about the condition with friends and family.

How can stomach cancer be made more widely known?

We invite everyone to take part in November, including patients, carers, families, friends, businesses, and organizations.

  • Share your personal experiences with regional, national, and international media outlets to put a face to the illness.
  • Spreading awareness of stomach cancer in your community
  • Participate on our Facebook and other social media accounts.
  • Participate in or host fundraising activities
  • Post a sign to raise awareness of Stomach Cancer Awareness Month.

Is it Breast Cancer Awareness Month in February?

National Cancer Prevention Month is in February. Review our website’s other resources, download A Guide to Preventing Cancer, and have a look at our Seven Steps to Prevent Cancer.

What is the stomach cancer survival rate?

THIS PAGE CONTAINS INFORMATION REGARDING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE A STOMACH CANCER DIAGNOSIS EACH YEAR. Additionally, you’ll learn general information on battling the illness. Keep in mind that a number of factors affect survival rates. To view additional pages, use the navigation.

Approximately 1.5% of all new cancer cases identified each year in the US are stomach cancer. In the United States, stomach cancer will be discovered in an estimated 26,380 people this year (15,900 males and 10,480 women). In 2020, the disease will have affected 1,089,103 individuals worldwide. The fifth most frequent cancer in the world is stomach cancer.

In the United States, 11,090 deaths from this illness are anticipated this year (6,690 males and 4,400 women). Globally, stomach cancer is predicted to be the cause of 768,793 fatalities in 2020. It is the fourth most common reason for cancer deaths worldwide.

Varied regions of the world have different rates of stomach cancer. For instance, it is particularly prevalent in Eastern Europe and East Asia. Incidence rates have decreased by 1.5% yearly in the US over the past ten years. The use of antibiotics to treat infections may contribute to some of this reduction. These drugs are effective against H. pylori (see Risk Factors).

The percentage of patients who survive at least 5 years after their cancer is discovered is indicated by the 5-year U.S. survival rate. Percentage refers to the number out of 100. For those who have stomach cancer, the 5-year survival rate is 32%. This figure reflects the fact that 62 percent of stomach cancer patients are diagnosed after the disease has already migrated from the original site. The 5-year survival rate is typically higher if stomach cancer is discovered before it has spread, but it also relies on the stage of the cancer discovered during surgery.

The 5-year survival rate is 70% if the cancer is identified and treated before it has progressed outside the stomach. The 5-year survival rate is 32% if the cancer has progressed to the local lymph nodes, adjacent tissues, or organs. The 5-year survival rate is only 6% if the cancer has migrated to a distant area of the body. A diagnosis is made at this advanced stage in about 36% of patients.

It’s vital to keep in mind that estimates exist for the survival rates of those with stomach cancer. The estimate is based on annual data on the number of Americans who have this cancer. Additionally, every five years, experts measure the survival rates. This means that the estimate might not account for improvements in the last five years in the detection or treatment of stomach cancer. If you have any questions concerning this material, consult your doctor. Find out more about how to comprehend statistics.

Statistics taken from Cancer Facts & Figures 2022, a publication by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the ACS website, the website of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute. (Accessed January 2022 for all sources.)

Why does stomach cancer develop?

Although the precise origin of stomach cancer is unknown, there are numerous risk factors, notably those related to nutrition and lifestyle. For instance, eating a diet heavy in processed meat, smoked or salted meals, and little to no vegetables increases your risk of developing stomach cancer, as does consuming alcohol and smoking.

What forms of stomach cancer are there?

The term “stomach cancer” refers to any type of cancer that affects the stomach. It typically refers to cancer that develops from the stomach’s lining of cells. These cells grow abnormally and quickly, just like all malignant cells do. Typically, there are no symptoms at the beginning of the condition (asymptomatic). Early satiety, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms like indigestion and early fullness may emerge as the condition worsens. In order for stomach cancer to develop, a number of different elements must come into play at the same time. This is known as a multifactorial cause. These variables may be genetic, immune, infectious, or environmental. There is typically no family history of stomach cancer, and it typically arises sporadically and at random for unexplained reasons.

Stomach cancer comes in a variety of types. About 9095% of persons with stomach cancer have the most prevalent type, known as adenocarcinoma. Other forms include neuroendocrine (carcinoid) tumors in the stomach, primary gastric lymphoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). NORD contains details on these cancer types. Select the precise cancer name as your search phrase in the Rare Disease Database to learn more. Other cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and leiomyosarcoma, can occasionally develop in the stomach. Although breast cancer is one type of cancer that can very infrequently migrate to the stomach, malignancies in other organs seldom metastasis to the stomach. The gastroesophageal junction or stomach adenocarcinoma is the main topic of this article.

The organ where the majority of digestion takes place is the stomach. At the gastroesophageal junction, the stomach and esophagus (a tube that connects to the throat) are joined. Following chewing and swallowing, food passes via the esophagus and enters the stomach. The duodenum, a section of the small intestine, is attached to the lower portion of the stomach. Although stomach cancer (adenocarcinoma) can develop anywhere in the stomach, it most frequently starts in the cells that line the mucus membrane (mucus-producing cells). Cancer of the gastroesophageal junction is a term that may be used to describe cancer that develops close to the esophagus.

Is cancer in stage 4 irreversible?

Cancer at stage 4 is not always fatal. It usually requires more intensive therapy because it is progressed.

Cancer that is terminal is one that cannot be cured and will eventually take a person’s life. Some people would refer to it as terminal cancer. When a doctor declares that a patient’s cancer is terminal, it typically signifies that the disease is so far along that there are no longer any effective ways to treat it. Cancers that are more advanced are more likely to be fatal.

The possibility of surviving for a specific amount of time, like five years, when a doctor diagnoses cancer is expressed by survival rates. When breast cancer has progressed to distant parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 28%, suggesting that 28% of patients make it through this time.

According to the American Cancer Society, the same percentage is 30% for men whose prostate cancer has progressed to remote locations.

Depending on the type of cancer, survival rates can change. Mesothelioma that has migrated to distant locations has a 7 percent 5-year survival rate. This rate is 3% for distant pancreatic cancer.

However, it is important to keep in mind that these rates are based on a substantial amount of historical data. They might not represent current developments in medicine and healthcare. Additionally, a vast array of variables affect each person’s life expectancy.

The procedure of figuring out a cancer’s stage and severity is complicated. All the factors that govern how cancer develops and impacts the body are still unknown to medical professionals. It is quite challenging to predict life expectancy. The sort of cancer, where it is located, and whether the patient has any other underlying medical disorders are just a few of the numerous factors the doctor will take into account.

Is cancer at stage 4 treatable?

Cancer in stage 4 is typically incurable. Additionally, it is unlikely that it can be totally eliminated because it will have spread throughout the body. Treatment aims to increase quality of life and extend life.