Home Health Center Stomach Cancer   Stomach Cancer - Causes

Causes of Stomach Cancer



The most common type of gastric cancer is known as adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer affects the cells in the lining of the stomach. The rate of this type of gastric cancer has decreased over the years in the US but is still very common in countries such as Chile, Japan, and Iceland.

A combination of several factors may be attributed to the causes of stomach cancer. Doctors and experts still do not know what the exact cause of the condition is, though several theories exist. What they do know is that there are certain factors that increase a person's chance of developing stomach cancer.

Risk factors of stomach cancer include:

  • Genetics and a family history of stomach cancer
  • Previous history of chronic gastritis
  • An infection of helicobacter pylori - a type of bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers and inflammation of the stomach lining
  • History of large gastric polyps
  • Smoking
  • History of pernicious anemia which causes long-term inflammation of the stomach
  • Surgery to remove part of the stomach due to other medical reasons
  • Obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise can increase a person's chances of developing stomach cancer
  • Studies also indicate that people who follow a diet high in foods that are pickled, cured, or salted may fall into the high-risk category for stomach cancer
  • Eating foods contaminated with a particular fungi known as the aflatoxin fungus may also result in stomach cancer
Keep in mind that there are a significant amount of cases where people with stomach cancer have no known risk factors. Similarly, people may have one or more of the risk factors but still do not develop the diseases.


Types
Signs & Symptoms
References
  1. Chia-Jung Chiang, Hoda Kadouh, Kequan Zhou, Phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of gooseberry as affected by in vitro digestion, LWT - Food Science and Technology, Volume 51, Issue 2, May 2013, Pages 417-422, ISSN 0023-6438, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2012.11.014.
  2. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643812004628)