Gastric cancer
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What is gastric cancer?
- Gastric cancer is a cancer that starts in the stomach, an organ that is part of the digestive system1
- It starts in the inner layer of the stomach and grows into the outer layers1
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Types of gastric cancer
- 90 to 95% of stomach cancers are of a type known as adenocarcinoma1,2
- Some other cancers may develop in the stomach but are not referred to as gastric cancer; these include:1,2
- Lymphomas
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumours
- Carcinoid tumours
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Who gets gastric cancer?
- Gastric cancer is almost twice as common in males as in females2,3
- Most people with gastric cancer are aged over 55 years2,3
- Smokers are twice as likely to develop gastric cancer as non-smokers2,3
- A diet low in fibre and high in processed food or red meat may increase susceptibility to gastric cancer2
- It is the 5th most common cancer worldwide4
- 952,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide in 20124
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Screening, detection, and diagnosis
- There are no screening programmes for gastric cancer in Europe, but there is a screening programme in Japan, where gastric cancer is very common5
- The main tests used to diagnose gastric cancer are:
- Endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound, including taking a biopsy6
- Other tests may include:
- Laparoscopy6
- CT and PET scans6
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Patient guidelines
A patient guideline is a document containing information for patients and their families about their disease and the treatment options available to them
Click here to see the European patient guideline on your condition7
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Local support groups
Contacting a support group may help you during diagnosis and treatment and afterwards
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Infographics
Click here for information on the incidence of gastric cancer in Europe8
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