Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the stomach and remains one of the more common cancers worldwide. Risk factors include high salt-preserved food consumption and infection with H. pylori infection.
Key points
- The disease is often silent early on, later producing persistent indigestion, unexplained weight loss, or early fullness after meals.
- High intake of salt-preserved food and H. pylori infection are recognised risk factors for its development.
- For disease that has not spread, removing some or the whole stomach is the primary treatment, with capecitabine-based chemotherapy used alongside or instead.
Recognising it early
Gastric cancer is often silent in its early stages. As it advances, people notice persistent indigestion or heartburn that does not settle, unexplained weight loss, a feeling of fullness after small meals, nausea, blood in vomit or stools, or dull upper-abdominal pain. These symptoms overlap with many benign conditions, which is why they tend to be investigated late. Anyone with symptoms that persist beyond a few weeks, especially alongside weight loss, should seek medical assessment promptly.
How gastric cancer is managed
Treatment depends on the stage and extent of spread. Surgery to remove part or all of the stomach is the main approach for localised disease. Chemotherapy is used alongside surgery or as the primary treatment when surgery is not possible. Capecitabine, an oral fluoropyrimidine agent, is widely used in combination regimens for gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are additional options depending on tumour biology. Full treatment planning sits within oncology support and is led by a specialist team.