Overview
Stomach (gastric) cancer can occur anywhere in the stomach but usually begins in the stomach lining. The common type is adenocarcinoma. According to GLOBOCAN 2020, stomach cancer is among the top 4 most common cancers in Vietnam with 17,906 new cases (9.8%); its mortality ranks 3rd with 14,615 deaths (11.9%). It is one of the most dangerous cancers.
- Cancer at the cardia of the stomach — the gastroesophageal junction — is becoming increasingly common.
Risk factors
- Unhealthy diet: Low in fruit and vegetables, high in salt, and high in processed red meat and smoked foods.
- Tobacco: Smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke increases the risk.
- Alcohol abuse.
- H. pylori infection: A main cause of stomach ulcers and gastritis; treatable with antibiotics.
- Certain chronic conditions: Chronic gastritis, vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, stomach polyps, obesity.
- Food toxins such as peanuts contaminated with aflatoxin mold.
- Age: People over 75 are at higher risk.
- Gender: Men have about twice the risk of women.
- Genetic factors: A first-degree family history with blood type A, or family cancer syndromes such as Li-Fraumeni and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).
Stages of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer is divided into 5 stages:
Stage 0: Abnormal or cancer cells appear in the stomach lining, without spreading elsewhere.
Stage I: Cancer cells invade deeper layers of the lining and may spread to 1–2 nearby lymph nodes.
Stage II: Cancer grows through the lining into deeper layers of the stomach and may spread to nearby lymph nodes; symptoms begin to appear.
Stage III: Cancer grows through all layers of the stomach and spreads to more lymph nodes or to nearby organs such as the liver, lungs, or colon.
Stage IV: Cancer has spread to distant organs.
Stomach cancer screening
There is no routine test for stomach cancer screening. However, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy remains an effective method for early detection and diagnosis of stomach cancer.