Stomach cancer

Stomach cancer types

Every stomach cancer patient is different. The cancer experts at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) have extensive experience in properly staging and diagnosing the disease, and developing a treatment plan that's tailored to your specific type of stomach cancer.

Types of stomach cancer

Different types of stomach cancer include:

• Adenocarcinomas develop within the cells of the innermost lining of the stomach. The majority of stomach cancers are classified as adenocarcinomas.
• Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system tissue that may start anywhere there are lymph tissues, including the stomach. Lymphomas in the stomach are rather rare and only account for about 4 percent of all stomach cancers. 
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or GISTs, are a rare type of stomach cancer that starts in a special cell found in the lining of the stomach called interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). Under a microscope, GIST cells look similar to muscle or nerve cells. These tumors may develop throughout the digestive tract, but about 60 to 70 percent occur in the stomach.
• Carcinoid tumors typically start in the hormone producing cells of the stomach. These tumors usually do not spread to different organs and account for only about 3 percent of stomach cancer incidence.

Stomach cancer symptoms

Most patients with early stage stomach cancers have no symptoms of the disease. In other cases, a person with stomach cancer may mistake their symptoms for a common stomach virus.
When the signs and symptoms of stomach cancer are not apparent, the disease may reach advanced stages before a diagnosis is made. For this reason, it is important for anyone considered to be at high risk to talk to their doctors about symptoms that may be signs of stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer symptoms

Some common stomach cancer symptoms may include:

• Unexplained weight loss: Lack of appetite or unexplained weight loss is a common sign of cancer.
• Stomach pain: Abdominal discomfort or pain in the abdomen above the navel could be a symptom of stomach cancer. Also, swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen may also be caused by stomach cancer.
• Feeling full: Many stomach cancer patients experience a sense of "fullness" in the upper abdomen after eating small meals.
• Heartburn: Indigestion, heartburn or symptoms similar to an ulcer may be signs of stomach cancer.
• Nausea & vomiting: Some stomach cancer patients have symptoms that include nausea and throwing up. Sometimes the vomit may have blood in it.