The National Cancer Institute reports that gastric cancer, also called stomach cancer, is diagnosed in 1,300 men and 8,000 women in the United States each year. The majority of people with gastric cancer are older than 70. The stomach is part of the digestive system and is the site where food becomes liquid after traveling from the mouth through the esophagus. Because there are several different types of cells in the stomach, there are several different types of gastric cancer.
Adenocarcinoma
Merck Manuals, an online medical library, reports that approximately 95 percent of gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas, which originate in the cells of the stomach lining. Adenocarcinoma is the seventh most common cause of cancer death. The cells that become cancerous are glandular cells; the Mayo Clinic adds that these cells secrete mucus that protects the stomach lining from the digestive juices that process food during digestion. Scientists believe that infection with a bacterium called Heliobacter pylori causes most of gastric cancer cases.
Carcinoid Tumors
The transformation of the hormone-producing cells of the stomach may cause gastric cancer; this type of cancer is called carcinoid cancer. According to Medline Plus, a website of the National Institutes of Health, carcinoid cancers are rare and grow slowly. When this cancer has significantly progressed, the hormones produced by the tumor cells can cause flushing in the face and upper chest, trouble breathing and diarrhea.
Lymphoma
The Mayo Clinic reports that cells of the germ-fighting immune tissue are normally present in the stomach and may also be the cause of gastric cancer. This type of cancer, called lymphoma, is quite rare.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
Another type of gastric cancer is a gastrointestinal stromal tumor or GIST. The Mayo Clinic describes this type of cancer as beginning in the nervous system tissues that are located in the stomach. GIST is a very rare type of cancer.
