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Stomach Cancer |
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What Should I Know About Stomach Cancer?
What is stomach cancer? Stomach cancer, which is also called gastric cancer, is the growth of cells that are not normal in the lining and wall of the stomach. The stomach is the organ where food is digested. Who might get stomach cancer? You may have more risk for getting stomach cancer if you are old, if you are a man, if you smoke cigarettes, if you drink a lot of alcohol, or if you eat a lot of pickled or salty foods. Certain groups of people such as blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics also may have an increased risk. Your chance of getting stomach cancer is higher if you have had an infection in your stomach caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Can I prevent stomach cancer? There is no way to prevent stomach cancer. However, you can help reduce your risk of getting stomach cancer by not drinking too much alcohol, by not smoking, and by eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, and vitamin C. Vitamin C is found in foods such as oranges and grapefruits. How can my doctor tell if I have stomach cancer? You won't know you have stomach cancer for sure until after your doctor examines your stomach. Sometimes cancer can be in the stomach for a long time and grow very large before it causes symptoms. In the early stages of stomach cancer, you may have these symptoms: Indigestion, stomach discomfort, or heartburn A bloated feeling after eating Nausea or loss of appetite When the cancer is larger, you may have these symptoms: Blood in your stool Weight loss Stomach pain If you have any of these signs or symptoms, talk with your doctor. How do doctors look for stomach cancer? If you have signs, symptoms, or risk factors, your doctor may want you to get an x-ray test of your stomach. For this test, you will drink a liquid containing barium, which makes the stomach easier to see on the x-ray. Your doctor also may look inside your stomach using a thin, lighted scope. For this test, the scope is inserted through your mouth and passed down to your stomach. Your doctor may give you medicine before the test so that you feel no pain. If your doctor sees anything that is not normal during this test, he or she may cut out a small piece of the stomach so it can be looked at under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. How is stomach cancer treated? The choice of treatment depends on whether the cancer is just in the stomach or if it has spread to other places in your body. It also depends on your health. The earlier stomach cancer is detected, the better the chances are that it can be cured. Once cancer of the stomach is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This step is called staging. You might get a kind of x-ray called a CAT scan to see if your cancer has spread. An ultrasound test also can be done. Your doctor needs to know the stage of the cancer to plan your treatment, which could include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, or all three. Chemicals in Broccoli and Other Veggies Cut Lung Cancer Risk Chemicals found in broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, and other cruciferous vegetables may protect against lung cancer, according to a new study conducted jointly with US and Chinese researchers.
Isothiocyanates are found in broccoli and other so called "cruciferous" vegetables. The study is the first to link levels of isothiocyanates with a decrease in cancer risk, as previous studies had relied on dietary questionnaires that give no information on absorption or blood levels. Though the chemicals did lower cancer risk by 36% in this study, smoking alone increases lung cancer risk by as much as 10 times. The researchers think that isothiocyanates fight cancer by promoting the production of antioxidants and by inhibiting enzymes that allow carcinogens in cigarette smoke to damage DNA. Isothiocyanates are not commercially available in pill form, and being that there are more than 20 different isothiocyanates, it is doubtful that a supplement would be able to duplicate the proper mix of these chemicals to get the same benefit. According to one of the researchers, it is more prudent to "just eat the vegetables", rather than looking for benefits from supplements. The Lancet August 26th 2000;356:724-729 Red Wine Reduces Lung Cancer Risks Although some studies suggest drinking red wine may help protect against lung cancer, other studies claim excess amounts of wine may cause cancer. Further, those researchers against red wine consumption believe there is no solid evidence proving red wine helps fight cancer. There is strong evidence that supports drinking large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis might actually increase the risk of cancers such as:
In a study involving 132 people with lung cancer and 187 hospital patients without the disease, researchers attempted to discover if there was a link between red wine and the reduction of lung cancer. Researchers found that each group drank similar amounts of wine each day (three and a half glasses). The results revealed that just over a third of the lung cancer patients drank red wine compared to over half of the other patients. Researchers also concluded that while beer, spirits and rose wine did not affect the development of cancer, there did appear to be a connection between white wine and increased lung cancer risks. Thus, the beneficial effects of red wine may boil down to tannins (a cell-protecting antioxidant) and resveratrol (which has been shown to smother the development and growth of tumors). Based on their findings, researchers felt that it was more important to investigate the beneficial components of wine rather than promoting the consumption of it. BBC News October 27, 2004
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