Prevent stomach cancer in advance

Neil Galletly, British gastroenterologist at Beijing United Family Hospital, has over 20 years of clinical experience and is specialized in the treatment and diagnosis of gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Photo: Courtesy of the Beijing Family Joint Hospital

Editor's note:

The stomach is the first stop in the digestive tract before food and drink pbad through the intestines. This is a muscled bean shaped bag the size of a fist located at the top of the abdomen. The cells in the gastric mucosa secrete acidic gastric juices that mix with the ingested foods.

Stomach cancer is one of the four most prevalent cancers in the world and is a major problem in China. The estimated five-year survival rate for stomach cancer is less than 30%. If the diagnosis is diagnosed at an early stage, the chances of recovery are greatly improved, which is why early detection is very important.

Dr. Neil Galletly, British gastroenterologist at the Beijing United Family's United Hospital, discusses the disease in more detail and describes ways in which people can prevent stomach cancer to preserve the condition. health of their stomachs.

How to reduce your risk of stomach cancer?

Cancer prevention – for any cancer – involves taking steps to reduce the risk of developing cancer. This usually means that you make changes to your diet or lifestyle. This may include avoiding and eliminating risk factors (ie known factors to increase the risk of cancer) and increasing exposure to protective factors (ie, known to reduce the risk of cancer). Although avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer, this should reduce your risk. Taking the following steps should reduce your risk of stomach cancer:

Start by treating Helicobacter pylori infection (H. pylori or Hp). H. pylori is a bacterium that colonizes the lining of the stomach. H. pylori is particularly prevalent in China. It is often picked up in childhood and survives in the acidic environment of the stomach for many years. It often causes no symptoms, although it can cause dyspepsia and indigestion. A long-term infection with H. pylori will cause inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) and may cause abnormal changes in the cells that line the stomach and become cancerous over time. It is estimated that more than 90% of stomach cancers are attributable to H. pylori infection. Chronic H. pylori infection can also cause peptic ulcers and gastric lymphoma.

Studies show that successfully treating H. pylori infection with antibiotics reduces the risk of cancer of the stomach. Ideally, the infection should be treated early in adulthood (20 and 30 years) before changes in the cells lining the stomach begin to occur. H. pylori can be resistant to a number of antibiotics; most treatments consist of taking four different medications for two weeks. Even the best combination treatments have only a 90% success rate to eradicate the infection. It is therefore advisable to repeat the H. pylori test approximately one month after the end of treatment.

H. pylori infection can be detected by either a special breath test, stool test or gastroscopy.

You can also use a blood test for antibodies against H. pylori. However, this is less useful because a positive result may indicate that you are infected with H. pylori or that you have already had an infection that has been eliminated. All of these tests, as well as H. pylori treatment, are available at the Center for Digestive Diseases of United Family Hospitals in Beijing.

Second, stop smoking. We all know that smoking is bad for us! Smokers have a twice as high risk of developing stomach cancer and quitting smoking reduces the risk of stomach cancer over time. Smoking also increases the risk of many other types of cancer, heart disease, chronic lung disease and stroke.

Third, lose weight. Overweight or obesity increases the risk of cancer of the stomach. On the other hand, being physically active can help reduce your risk. Obesity also increases the risk of many other types of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The American Cancer Society recommends people maintain a healthy weight throughout their lives by balancing calorie intake and physical activity.

Paying attention to your diet and the foods you eat is another way to reduce your risk. High consumption of salty, pickled and smoked foods can increase your risk of stomach cancer. On the other hand, people should eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables because a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Citrus fruits rich in vitamin C (such as oranges, lemons, pomelos and grapefruit) can be particularly useful. It is recommended to try to eat three to five servings of fresh fruits or vegetables a day. Some studies have also shown that wholegrain cereals, carotenoids, green tea, and substances found in garlic could reduce the risk of stomach cancer, although other studies have not shown any signs of stomach cancer. have shown no benefit.

Some Chinese studies have suggested that combinations of antioxidant supplements (vitamins A, C, and E and mineral selenium) could initially reduce the risk of stomach cancer in malnourished people. But most studies of well-nourished people have found no benefit in adding vitamin pills to their diet and further research is needed in this area.

Things that may put you at risk for stomach cancer

Age can be one of the factors. Stomach cancer and a number of other cancers are more common after the age of 50. Most cases of stomach cancer occur without a family history, but about 10% of cases are grouped together within the same family. It is therefore important to talk to your doctor if you have a family history of stomach cancer in a close family member or in more than one case in the same family. A large family history of lobular bad cancer can also increase your risk.

Statistics also show that men are about twice as likely as women to be diagnosed with cancer of the stomach. Type A people have a slightly higher risk of developing stomach cancer than people from other blood groups. And people of East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), Pacific Island, Hispanic and Black descent have an increased risk.

Those who have already undergone gastric surgery and pernicious anemia – anemia caused by low levels of vitamin B12 – should also pay more attention to this.

Screening for stomach cancer

Cancer screening is a way to test healthy people before they develop symptoms to help detect cancer at an early stage. Unlike colon, bad and cervical cancers, very few countries (with the exception of Japan and South Korea) have programs for screening of stomach cancer in the population. If you have risk factors, talk to a gastroenterologist or your family doctor to find out if you would benefit from regular endoscopic checks for stomach cancer screening.

Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer

Early stage cancer of the stomach rarely causes symptoms, making early detection very difficult. Stomach cancer may have vague gastrointestinal symptoms or may mimic other conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, or peptic ulcer.

Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer may include: feeling full after eating small amounts, discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting, and / or bloating after meals, loss of appetite, and / or unexplained weight loss, indigestion, heartburn or weight loss. difficulty swallowing, vomiting of blood or blood in the stool, weakness and fatigue.

Most of these symptoms can be caused by factors other than cancer of the stomach. However, do not ignore your symptoms. If you see blood or if you experience these symptoms for more than two or three weeks, especially getting worse, you should consult a gastroenterologist or your family doctor for further examination.