Factors

Cr : Getwellzone.com

The main cause of stomach cancer is found to be the infection by Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter pylori is the organism that causes ulcers and other diseases of the upper digestive system, and responsible for a tremendous amount of illness and suffering worldwide. Helicobacter pylori is a helical or spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the stomach. It is identified as a “group 1” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subordinate organization of World Health Organization (WHO) in 1994.

The infection of Helicobacter pylori often goes undetected or misdiagnosed as the symptoms such as burping, nausea and burning or aching in the stomach are easily confused with other diseases. Helicobacter pylori often cause inflammation and damage to the inner layer of the stomach, causing ulcer and stomach cancer.  

Cr : Regina B.

           Our diet can be the important risk factor of stomach cancer. The cancer is not a single disease, but an expression of multiple alterations of in a normal process of cells growth and death. Therefore, food can affect cancer risk and lead to carcinogenesis and cancer. Consumption of food rich in salted, pickled and smoked products increases the risk of stomach cancer as these foods contain high content salt and nitrates and low content of antioxidants. This is because they are stored for a long time at room temperature before being consumed. Nitrates and nitrites are substances commonly found in cured meats and can be converted by certain bacteria, such as H. pylori, into compounds that have been found to cause stomach cancer in animals. The nitrates with the salt in acidic stomach form the reactive carcinogens. Low consumption of vegetables and fruits also leads increases the risk of stomach cancer. The antioxidants in vegetables and fruits can destroy the oxygen species, which gives a protective effect.

Shelly Jones

           
 Alcohol and tobacco smoking is also one of the reason leading to stomach cancer. Alcohol associates with Helicobacter pylori infection, which may cause inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Development of gastric carcinogenesis is divided into a few stages: chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia. The risk for both metaplasia and dysplasia increases significantly together with the tobacco consumption and also the increasing of smoking duration. It is estimated that smoking causes 35% of incident cases of stomach cancer of the United States

        
 Furthermore, the stomach cancer can happen due to the gene mutations in the E-cadherin gene (CDNI). Mutations in gene have been reported in heredity diffuse gastric cancers. It has been estimated that mutation in E-cadherin gene is causal in at least 30% of cases of diffuse gastric cancers with a penetrance of approximately 75% to 80%. Thus, people having CDNI have 75% to 80% chances of having stomach cancer.

As a summary, you are at risk of having stomach cancer if  you :

1. Consume food rich in salted, pickled and smoked products.
2. Do not consume enough vegetables and fruits
3. Have a stomach 
4. Smoke
5. Drink alcohol
6. Are exposed to long-term radiation
7. Have a family with a history of stomach cancer