Stomach Cancer

The stomach is divided into five different sections. The first three are called the cardia, fundus and body, and together are referred to as the proximal stomach. Some cells of this area of the stomach produce acid and pepsin (a digestive enzyme), the ingredients of the gastric juice that help digest food. The next area is called the antrum where the food is mixed with gastric juice. At the end of the stomach is the pylorus which acts as a valve to control emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine. The antrum and pylorus together are referred to as the distal stomach. Cancers beginning in these different sections may produce different symptoms and tend to have different outcomes. The location can also affect some of the treatment options that are available. Stomach cancers are believed to develop slowly over many years. Before a true cancer develops, there are usually precancerous changes that occur in the lining of the stomach. These early changes rarely produce symptoms and often go undetected. Approximately 90 to 95 percent of the malignant, or cancerous, tumors of the stomach are adenocarcinomas. The terms stomach cancer or gastric cancer almost always refer to adenocarcinoma of the stomach. This cancer develops from the cells that form the inner lining of the stomach called the epithelium.

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