Monday, May 28, 2012

Symptoms Of Stomach Cancer

The symptoms of stomach cancer can be misleading because they can reflect other illnesses such as a discomfort in the area of that organ or a full or bloated feeling after a small meal. These causes often occur after many other problems, such as a mild virus or minor food poisoning, therefore many people don't recognize them as the early stages of stomach cancer. Other problems to note are nausea and vomiting and weight loss that continue for a long time. If these problems persist, then a person should consult his doctor to rule out more serious causes. When stomach cancer treatments are started early, the prognosis is much better for the patient. A gastroenterologist, a doctor whose specialty is diagnosing and treating digestive problems, will begin by taking a medical history and a family history and order blood tests and a physical exam in which he will check the abdomen for fluid, swelling, or other changes. He will also check for swollen lymph nodes and make sure the patient has no yellowing of the skin and eyes. If the physician thinks the treatment is necessary, he will order x-rays of the esophagus and stomach in which the patient will drink a barium solution to make these parts of the body show up better on the x-rays. When a problem surfaces, the physician may order an endoscopy in which a thin, lighted tube is inserted into the stomach so that the doctor can see inside the organ. Sometimes, the doctor may use the endoscope to remove tissue for a biopsy. Then a pathologist checks the removed tissue under a microscope for an carcinoma. This organ,unique in the body, is the gateway for almost all the nutrition the body receives. As a hollow organ in the upper abdomen under the ribs, its wall has five layers. The first is the inner lining or mucosa where juices made by glands help digest food and where most diseases begin. The second layer is the submucosa, which supports the inner layer. Next comes a muscle layer that creates a rippling motion to mix and mash the food for digestion. The subserosa supports for the outer layer, which is called the serosa and covers the organ and holds the entire organ in place. Once food enters this digestive factory, it is turned into liquid, then moves to the small intestine and on to the large intestine. Therefore, this beginning of the digestive system lends a vital link to all good health. Therefore, stomach cancer treatments need to take certain methods to make sure that the patient can continue to receive nutrition throughout the therapy.

This carcinoma usually takes certain processes to spread and become dangerous. The body is made up of cells that are the building blocks for tissues; these tissues make up the organs. Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells, and then they get old and die and new ones take their place. Sometimes this process goes wrong and new cells form when they are not needed and old cells don't die, which forms a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancerous and are rarely life-threatening. Malignant tumors are dangerous and begin to invade tissues around them. Even when removed, they may grow back and damage the body, a process called metastasizing to other parts of the body. Or they can break away from the original tissue and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, bringing the disease to other organs. Stomach cancer treatments keep the carcinoma from spreading through the organ layers into the pancreas, esophagus, intestine, or into the liver, lungs, and heart. This spreading will result in new tumors with the same kind of abnormal cells and a new location for the cancer. Pathologists can tell if the disease originated in a certain part of the body or if it has metastasized from another area by studying the type of cells in the tumor. If it originated in another area, it is called a "distant" or metastatic tumor. That's why it is so important to take note of the symptoms of stomach cancer even though they may seem just a part of normal life.

One of the risk factors that may signal symptoms of stomach cancer is the patient's age, especially if a person is over 70 years old. Men are more likely to develop this condition than women as are Asians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and African Americans. People who eat foods that are smoked, salted, or pickled have far higher risk factors, but some studies show that eating fresh fruits and vegetables may have beneficial effects. If a person has a certain type of bacteria, helicobacter pylori infection, he may have a higher incidence of having this condition because it causes inflammation of the lining of the stomach and ulcers. Still, only a few people who have this infection will get the disease. People who smoke or those with a family history of this disease are more likely to contract this carcinoma and need stomach cancer treatments. The family history includes chronic gastritis, which is a long-term inflammation of the lining, and pernicious anemia, a blood disease that affects this organ. If a person finds himself struggling with the symptoms of stomach cancer, he can turn to solace in this verse: "The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace," (Psalm 29:11). Even through stomach cancer treatments, we can rely on this peace.

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