Gastric carcinoma, also known as stomach or gastric cancer, is the result of genetic mutations that occur over time in the stomach cells, causing them to grow quickly. Patients who eat large amounts of smoked foods, smoke or have chronic stomach inflammation are at a greater risk of developing this form of cancer.
Types
There are four distinct types of stomach cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. By far the most common form of gastric carcinoma is a gastric adenocarcinoma, which is a cancer that forms from the cells that line the stomach. Between 90 and 95 percent of all gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas. Other kinds of gastric cancer can arise from the immune cells (lymphoma) or hormone-producing cells (carcinoid). Patients with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor have a very rare form of gastric cancer that begins in special cells in the gastrointestinal system called interstitial cells of Cajal.
Staging
Gastric carcinoma is often classified into one of four stages depending on how far the cancer has spread. As the Mayo Clinic explains, stage I gastric carcinomas are limited to the the stomach lining. In stage II, the cancer cells will have invaded deeper into the stomach and have gained access to the muscular layer around the stomach. Stage III cancer has spread throughout all of the layers of the stomach. Patients with stage IV gastric carcinomas have cancer that has spread to other tissues in the body.
Symptoms
Patients with gastric carcinoma, the Mayo Clinic explains, often experience indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Some patients feel bloated after a meal or feel full after eating a small amount of food. Other symptoms are fatigue, stomach and abdominal pain, and sudden and unexplained weight loss.
Diagnosis
There are two tests that can be used to diagnose gastric carcinoma. An upper endoscopy uses a small flexible camera that allows the physician to visualize the stomach and look for any cancerous tissue. Imaging tests, such as an X-ray or a CT scan, can also be performed to look for any suspicious masses. Sometimes the patient will be told to drink a special mixture with barium, which can be detected on the X-ray and makes it easier for physicians to see the open space in the digestive system. Exploratory surgery can be done to determine the type and stage of gastric carcinoma.
Treatment
Surgery, the National Cancer Institute explains, may be used for any stage or type of stomach cancer. The surgeon can remove the entire stomach or just the portion that appears cancerous. Alternately, a stent can be used to open up the connection between the esophagus and the stomach if a tumor is preventing food from passing through. In addition to surgical techniques, chemotherapy (which uses medications that poison cancerous cells) and radiation treatment (which uses high energy X-rays to damage and destroy the cells in the tumor) can be used to eliminate the cells of the gastric carcinoma.
