Gastric Cancer

About half of gastric cancers occur in the stomach, but they’re also found anywhere in the digestive system – the esophagus, liver, stomach, gall bladder, large and small intestines and rectum. These cancers are sometimes called gastric myoblastoma and gastricmyosarcoma.

In 2020, more than 27,000 cases of stomach cancer were expected in the United States, with significantly more men than women diagnosed. Particularly vulnerable are people of Japanese and Korean descent, with Korea having the highest rate of stomach cancer worldwide.

The Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health program helps identify cases of gastric cancer, often linked to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic heartburn.

Symptoms of Gastric Cancer

In the early stages, symptoms of gastric cancers can include:

• Indigestion and stomach pain
• Feeling bloated after eating
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Heartburn

In more advanced cases, symptoms can include:

• Blood in the stool
• Vomiting
• Weight Loss
• Jaundice
• Ascites, or a build-up of fluid in the abdomen
• Trouble swallowing

Types of Gastric Cancer

• Adenocarcinoma: Up to 95 percent of stomach cancers are adenocarcinoma, developing in the stomach’s inner lining (the mucosa).
• Lymphoma: Cancers of the immune system found in the stomach wall.
• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST): This rare tumor can develop anywhere in the digestive tract, though it is most often found in the stomach.
• Carcinoid Tumor: Originating in hormone-making stomach cells, these tumors usually do not spread to other organs.

Diagnosing Gastric Cancer

We use several procedures and tests diagnose gastric cancer, including:

• Blood Chemistry Studies
• Upper Endoscopy
• Upper GI series using a barium swallow
• CT Scan
• Biopsy

Treating Gastric Cancer

Stomach cancer is usually treated with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy. If your cancer has reached Stage IV, surgery usually is not the primary treatment.

Surgical procedures include:

• Endoscopic Mucosal Resection: Often used to address early-stage cancer by removing a tumor using an endoscope.
• Subtotal or Partial Gastrectomy: Removes part of the stomach and nearby lymph nodes. Your surgeon then connects the rest of the stomach to the esophagus or small intestine in a procedure called a partial gastrectomy.
• Total Gastrectomy: Major surgery to remove the entire stomach and attach the esophagus to the small intestine.