Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer — also called gastric cancer — occurs when cancerous cells begin to grow in the lining of the stomach. The stomach wall has multiple layers and is the innermost mucosal layer where malignant or cancerous cells start to grow. The malignant cells then spread outward.

Stomach cancer can be slow-growing, and it may take years to cause symptoms. New cases of stomach cancer in the United States have declined in recent years, but the condition still affects more than 26,000 people each year — particularly those age 65 and older.

Types of Stomach Cancers

• Adenocarcinoma: Adenocarcinoma is a glandular tumor that can occur anywhere along the esophagus (food pipe) or stomach. This type of stomach cancer makes up nearly 95 percent of stomach cancers.
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): GISTs fall under the sarcoma family and make up only around 1 percent of stomach cancers. They begin in cells called interstitial cells of Cajal. Some GISTs can be noncancerous.
• Lymphoma: A cancer of immune system tissue, lymphomas can sometimes occur in the stomach wall. People can be predisposed to stomach lymphoma by infections like Helicobacter pylori, also known as H. pylori.
• Neuroendocrine tumor: Gastric neuroendocrine tumors form from stomach cells responsible for producing hormones. The tumors can mimic those hormone-producing cells, releasing lower levels of hormone-like substances.

Learn about stomach cancer symptoms, and risk factors, and treatments for stomach cancer.