Stomach cancer has no specific symptoms in the early stages❌, but as it progresses, you begin to notice them✔️.
That is why we should be aware of the risk factors for stomach cancer🙌
The following are some of the risk factors for stomach cancer.👇🏻

1. Age of more than 50 years🧓👵
If you are over the age of 50, your chances of developing stomach cancer increase

2. Smoking history🚬
If you smoke, you are more likely to develop various types of cancer, including stomach cancer.

3. Consumption of alcohol 🍷
Smoking and drinking alcohol play a significant role in the development of stomach cancer and other cancers.

4. A family history👨‍👨‍👦‍👦
If you have a family history of stomach cancer, your chances of developing stomach cancer increase.

Some risk factors, such as smoking and drinking, can be modified😌, and you should always be aware of such potentially fatal habits🧐.

Doctors 👨🏻‍⚕️also recommend a biopsy and an endoscopy to diagnose stomach cancer🎗️.

#cancer #stomach #stomachcancer #drpraveenkammar #cancersymptoms #cancerdiagnosis

The cause is still a medical mystery but each year more than 20,000 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer. Health experts say there could be a link between stomach cancer and stomach ulcers.

Dr. Mark Bloomston, surgical oncologist on staff at Lee Memorial Health System, says stomach ulcers affect roughly 4 million people each year. It usually starts off as a burning pain in the upper abdomen. “Pain is always a big red flag for us. Anytime anybody has pain, particularly upper abdominal pain that may or may not be related to what you’re eating that’s certainly a red flag for us.”

While the most common risk factors for stomach ulcers are family history, smoking and large amounts of caffeine, he says stress may also play a role. “There is an association with a type of personality where the typical type A personality of high revving, high stress, high active patients may have a higher risk of ulcers.”

Dr. Bloomston says if a patient has an ulcer that doesn’t respond to treatment it could be a red flag. Patients with stomach ulcers experience similar symptoms to those with stomach cancer, such as stomach pain and difficulty eating. While it’s unclear what causes stomach cancer, health experts say there’s a link in the bacteria found in ulcers. “There can be an association with ulcers in that there’s an association in the bacteria that causes ulcers,” said Dr. Bloomston.

If a patient has repeat ulcers, health experts may want to do an upper endoscopy to find out why. “There are other causes of ulcers that may not have anything to do with the stomach at all. You may have a tumor in the pancreas that’s making the body secrete too much acid in the stomach,” said Dr. Bloomston.

If a patient suspects that have an ulcer or possibly stomach cancer it’s important they see their doctor.


View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

Visit leememorial.org

Duke Cancer Institute epidemiologist Meira Epplein, PhD, discovered a common bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) puts Black, Hispanic, and Asian-American people at a higher risk for stomach cancer. She's been encouraging these and other populations to ask their doctors about getting tested for the bacteria, which Duke gastroenterologist Julius M. Wilder, MD, explains can be as easy as a breathing test. The simplicity of this test and the information it provides is meaningful to Bishop Ronald Godbee, who along with members of his church congregation, received tests for H. Pylori as part of Epplein's outreach in Durham, North Carolina.

00:00 What is H. pylori?
00:06 Can H. pylori lead to stomach cancer?
00:18 What populations are at higher risk for stomach cancer?
00:35 Can H. pylori be treated?
01:20 Can I be tested and treated for H. pylori?
02:18 What are the symptoms of H. pylori?

[Anchor Lead]
Gastric cancer is the leading cause of death among Koreans, mostly affecting people in their 50s. Those in their 20s and 30s can also suffer from it as well. What's more, stomach cancer is more aggressive and hard to detect and treat in younger patients.
[Pkg]
This 29-year-old woman is receiving chemotherapy after undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. She first sought medical help because of the symptoms of gastritis, but it turned out to be stomach cancer.
[Soundbite] (Gastric Cancer Patient (29)) : "I had persistent symptoms of upset stomach and anemia. An endoscopy showed that I had Stage 3 gastric cancer."
Gastric cancer patients in their 20s and 30s account for only 5 percent of all patients, but their condition is more serious. Gastric cancer that affects young people is usually of diffuse type. Unlike intestinal gastric cancer, its tumor cells look like secreted mucus and do not protrude outside, making it difficult to detect and diagnose. Diffuse gastric cancer also has more aggressive tumor cells that often spread to other organs. Statistics show that stage 4 gastric cancer patients account for only 11 percent of all patients in their 40s, but the figure surges to 20 percent among people in their 30s. That's the reason gastric cancer is the deadliest form of cancer among people
in their 30s. Experts recommend people younger than 40 to receive endoscopy if they have continuous symptoms of indigestion or upset stomach. Those who have a family history of gastric cancer are advised to receive endoscopy regularly after the age of 30.