If you or a loved one faces a stomach cancer diagnosis, count on the cancer experts at Sentara. Our multidisciplinary team with board-certified, fellowship-trained physicians work together through our tumor boards to create a personalized treatment plan for your cancer.
Your stomach is an organ that helps digest the food you eat. When you swallow, food moves through a tube (esophagus) and into the stomach, where it mixes with stomach acid.
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is one type of gastrointestinal cancer. You might be at risk for stomach cancer if you are:
- A smoker
- Male
- Over age 65
- Someone with a family history of stomach cancer
If you've had a certain bacterial infection (helicobacter pylori infection), you might also be at higher risk for stomach cancer. A history of eating smoked or salty foods may also put you at risk of developing this cancer.
You might mistake signs of stomach cancer for other digestive problems. Stomach cancer symptoms include:
- Blood in the bowel movements
- Discomfort or nausea
- Trouble swallowing
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)