Although stomach cancer is fairly uncommon, more than 6,000 people are diagnosed each year in the UK.
The condition, which is also known as gastric cancer, forms in the stomach or the stomach wall. It tends to develop more in older people, with half of all cases occurring in those aged 75 and over, and it is also more common in men.
STOMACH CANCER IN OUR AREA
Stomach cancer rates in North West England are 20% higher than the national average. Cumbria has extremely high rates of stomach cancer at 72% higher than the rest of the country and Merseyside experiences particularly high rates of the condition at 35%.
In North Wales, Conwy recorded rates of stomach cancer at 61% above the national average.
There are several different types of stomach cancer, but the most common type is adenocarcinoma, where cancers develop in the lining of the stomach. Adenocarcinomas represent 95% of all stomach cancers. Other cancers that can form include lymphoma of the stomach, which develops in the tissue that drains fluid and helps fight infection, and gastrointestinal stromal tumours, or GISTs.
The initial symptoms of stomach cancer are vague and easy to mistake for less serious conditions. These include:
- persistent indigestion and heartburn
- trapped wind and frequent burping
- feeling very full or bloated after meals
- persistent stomach pain
Symptoms of advanced stomach cancer can include:
- a loss of appetite
- blood in your poo or black poo
- weight loss
As the symptoms of early stomach cancer are similar to symptoms of other conditions, the cancer is often advanced by the time it is diagnosed, that’s why it is important to get any possible symptoms checked by a GP as soon as possible.
Your risk of developing the disease increases with age, as most cases occur in people aged 55 or over, and men are twice as likely as women to develop stomach cancer.
There’s no definitive idea of what causes most stomach cancer, but lifestyle factors do increase risk of developing it. This can include:
- a poor diet with too few fruits and vegetables
- too much red meat or processed meat
- a diet high in salt
Smoking tobacco increases your risk of getting stomach cancer with around 1 in 5 cases in the UK being linked to smoking.
Infection with H. Pylori causes around 1 in 3 cases. H. pylori is a bacteria that live in the mucous of the lining of the stomach. For most people, having a H. pylori infection will not cause any problems. But in some cases, long term infection can cause inflammation and stomach ulcers. About 4 out of 10 people in the UK have this infection and most people who have it don’t develop stomach cancer.
If you are referred to a specialist you will most likely have an endoscopy. This is a procedure which allows the specialist to examine your stomach by inserting an endoscope, which is a long tube that lets the specialist see down the throat so that they can diagnose the issue. If tissue that may be cancerous is found, a sample will be taken, a procedure called a biopsy. If the specialist thinks you may have cancer in the top part of your stomach, you may have an ultrasound scan at the same time as an endoscopy, this is called an endoscopic ultrasound. The procedure is mostly the same, but there will be an ultrasound probe on the endoscope.
You may also have a CT scan or a PET-CT scan to get a more accurate image of the cancer. Alternatively, you could have a laparoscopy. A laparoscopy is a small operation that lasts about half an hour in which you’ll be asleep under general anaesthetic. The surgeon will make 2 or 3 small cuts around your abdomen and belly button and will insert a laparoscope, which is similar to an endoscope, into your tummy to get a closer look at your stomach.
If you’re diagnosed with stomach cancer it may be possible to treat it by removing the abnormal areas from the lining of your stomach during an endoscopy. However, removing part, or all, of your stomach through either open surgery or a laparoscopy is more common. You might also need chemotherapy before and after surgery.
If you have any concerns about the signs and symptoms of stomach cancer, please visit your GP.
Ingawa kansa ya tumbo ni nadra sana, zaidi ya watu 6,000 wanagunduliwa kila mwaka nchini Uingereza. Hali hiyo, ambayo pia huitwa kansa ya tumbo, hutokea katika tumbo au ukuta wa tumbo. Inaonekana zaidi kwa watu wazima, na nusu ya kesi zote hutokea kwa wale wenye umri wa miaka 75 na zaidi, na pia ni ya kawaida kwa wanaume. Ugonjwa wa kansa ya tumbo katika eneo la Uingereza ni kubwa zaidi kuliko wastani wa nchi. Cumbria ina viwango vya juu sana vya saratani ya tumbo, 72% zaidi kuliko nchi nzima, na Merseyside ina viwango vya juu sana vya ugonjwa huo, 35%. Katika Wales Kaskazini, Conwy ilirekodi viwango vya saratani ya tumbo kwa 61% juu ya wastani wa kitaifa. Kuna aina kadhaa za kansa ya tumbo, lakini aina ya kawaida ni adenocarcinoma, ambapo kansa huongezeka katika utando wa tumbo. Adenocarcinoma ni moja ya aina za saratani ya tumbo. Ugonjwa huu pia unajulikana kama lymphoma ya tumbo, ambayo huendelea katika tishu ambayo huondoa umajimaji na kusaidia kupambana na maambukizo, na tumors ya gastrointestinal stromal. Dalili za kwanza za kansa ya tumbo ni zisizoeleweka na ni rahisi kuzitambua kuwa hali zisizo mbaya sana. Ugonjwa wa tumbo unaoendelea unaweza kusababisha maumivu ya tumbo na maumivu ya tumbo, na dalili za ugonjwa wa tumbo ni pamoja na: kupoteza hamu ya kula, damu katika poo au poo nyeusi, kupoteza uzito, na dalili za saratani ya tumbo ni sawa na dalili za hali nyingine. Hatari ya ugonjwa huo huongezeka kadiri mtu anavyozidi kuwa na umri, kwa kuwa watu wengi wana umri wa miaka 55 na zaidi, na wanaume wana uwezekano mkubwa wa kupata kansa ya tumbo kuliko wanawake. Hakuna wazo la uhakika la nini husababisha kansa ya tumbo zaidi, lakini mambo ya mtindo wa maisha huongeza hatari ya kuisababisha. Hii inaweza kujumuisha: - lishe duni na matunda na mboga chache sana - nyama nyekundu nyingi au nyama iliyotengenezwa - lishe yenye chumvi nyingi Kuvuta tumbaku huongeza hatari yako ya kupata kansa ya tumbo na karibu 1 katika kesi 5 nchini Uingereza inahusiana na kuvuta sigara. H. pylori ni moja ya sababu za ugonjwa huu. H. pylori ni bakteria inayokaa kwenye utando wa tumbo. Kwa watu wengi, kuambukizwa H. pylori hakusababisha matatizo yoyote. Lakini katika visa fulani, maambukizo ya muda mrefu yanaweza kusababisha uvimbe na vidonda vya tumbo. Karibu watu 4 kati ya 10 nchini Uingereza wana maambukizi haya na watu wengi ambao wana ugonjwa huo hawapati kansa ya tumbo. Ikiwa utaelekezwa kwa mtaalamu, yaelekea utafanyiwa uchunguzi wa endoscopy. Upasuaji huu unaruhusu daktari kuchunguza tumbo lako kwa kuingiza endoscope, ambayo ni bomba refu ambalo linaruhusu daktari kuona chini ya koo ili waweze kugundua tatizo. Ikiwa tishu ambayo yaweza kuwa ya kansa hupatikana, sampuli itachukuliwa, utaratibu unaoitwa upasuaji wa viungo. Ikiwa daktari wako anafikiria kuwa unaweza kuwa na kansa katika sehemu ya juu ya tumbo, unaweza kuwa na uchunguzi wa ultrasound wakati huo huo na endoscopy. Utaratibu ni sawa, lakini kutakuwa na uchunguzi wa ultrasound kwenye endoscope. Unaweza pia kufanya CT scan au PET scan ili kupata picha sahihi zaidi ya kansa. Vinginevyo, unaweza kufanya laparoscopy. laparoscopy ni operesheni ndogo ambayo huchukua karibu nusu saa ambayo utakuwa umelala chini ya anesthesia ya jumla. Daktari wa upasuaji atafanya upasuaji mdogo wa 2 au 3 kwenye tumbo na tumbo la tumbo na kuingiza laparoscope, ambayo ni sawa na endoscope, ndani ya tumbo lako ili kuona tumbo lako kwa karibu. Ikiwa umegunduliwa kuwa na kansa ya tumbo, inaweza kuwa na uwezekano wa kutibu kwa kuondoa maeneo yasiyo ya kawaida kutoka kwa utando wa tumbo lako wakati wa endoscopy. Hata hivyo, ni kawaida zaidi kuondoa sehemu ya tumbo lako au tumbo lako lote kupitia upasuaji wa wazi au laparoscopy. Huenda pia ukahitaji kutibiwa kwa kemikali kabla na baada ya upasuaji. Ikiwa una wasiwasi juu ya dalili za saratani ya tumbo, tafadhali tembelea daktari wako wa kawaida.