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What is Stomach Cancer?
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Stomach cancer - also known as a gastric cancer - is cancer of the cells that form the inner lining of the stomach. Cancer can arise in any part of the stomach, and is usually preceded by precancerous changes in the lining. The incidence of stomach cancer has been steadily decreasing in the United States for unknown reasons. Approximately 22,000 Americans are diagnosed with stomach cancer each year. The vast majority of stomach cancers - more than 95 percent - are adenocarcinomas.
The stomach is a hollow, muscular organ that stores and processes food and liquids received from the esophagus. Food is pulverized by the powerful muscles of the stomach, and then is further broken down by the chemical action of acids and enzymes produced in the stomach lining. The processed food exits the stomach through the pyloric sphincter and enters the duodenum, the uppermost section of the small intestine.
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The stomach is comprised of three main layers: the mucosal (innermost layer); the muscularis (middle layer); and the serosal (outer layer). Stomach cancer begins in the innermost layer and grows outward. As the cancer advances, it grows through the other layers, and then into adjacent lymph nodes and organs. When left untreated, stomach cancer can metastasize - or spread - to the bones and distant organs. Because stomach cancer causes only vague symptoms in the early stages, it is often missed until it has reached an advanced, difficult-to-treat stage.
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