Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs. It may grow along the stomach wall into the esophagus or small intestine.

Cancer may also extend through the stomach wall and spread to nearby lymph nodes and organs, such as the liver, pancreas, and colon. It may spread to distant organs, such as the lungs, the lymph nodes above the collarbone and to a woman’s ovaries.

Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

• Poor appetite
• Weight loss (without trying)
• Abdominal (belly) pain, discomfort
• A sense of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating a small meal
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Nausea
• Vomiting, with or without blood
• Swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen
• Low red blood cell count (anaemia)

Stages of Stomach Cancer

• Stage I: Cancer has grown into the inner layer of the wall of the stomach
• Stage II: Cancer has grown into the outer muscular layers of the wall of the stomach
• Stage III: Cancer has grown through all of the layers of the muscle into the connective tissue outside the stomach and has grown into nearby organs or structures
• Stage IV: Cancer has spread to the liver and to the inside of the abdomen. Less commonly, it can also spread to the lungs.