Cancer of the stomach, also known as gastric cancer, affects approximately 8,200 people in the UK every year.
However, the number of new cases of stomach cancer are decreasing, and the condition is now only half as common as it was 30 years ago.
Stomach cancer tends to affect those over the age of 55, and it is almost twice as common among men than women.
The stomach
The stomach is an organ that links the oesophagus (gullet) and the duodenum (top of the small intestine). It is part of the digestive system, and its main function is to digest food so that the nutrients can be easily absorbed into the body. It does this by contracting the muscles in the stomach wall that help to break down solid food.
Types of stomach cancer
There are different types of stomach cancer. The most common is adenocarcinoma of the stomach, and this develops in the stomach lining.
A less common type of stomach cancer is lymphoma of the stomach, which develops in the lymphatic tissue (tissue that drains away fluid and helps fight infection). Another less common type is sarcoma of the stomach, which develops in the muscle or connective tissue of the stomach wall (the most common of which is called a gastro-intestinal stromal tumour, or GIST).
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Glossary
- Stomach
- The sac-like organ of the digestive system. It helps digest food by churning it and mixing it with acids to break it down into smaller pieces.
- Tissue
- Body tissue is made up of groups of cells that perform a specific job, such as protecting the body against infection, producing movement or storing fat.
Continue to next section: Causes of stomach cancer