Stomach cancer

Stomach cancer (Brazilian Portuguese) or stomach cancer (European Portuguese) is a malignant neoplasm of the stomach mucosa, also known as gastric carcinoma. This disease is almost 95% of malignant tumors of this organ. Although theoretically any cell type capable of giving rise to cancer, gastric other cells rarely are the source of malignancies.
Treatment
The surgery, removing part or all of the stomach, in addition to nearby lymph nodes, is the main alternative therapy and only chance for cure. To determine the best surgical approach, one must consider the location, size, pattern and extent of spread and tumor histological type. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are considered secondary treatments that may provide better response to surgery.
Prevention
To prevent stomach cancer is essential to follow a balanced diet consisting of raw vegetables, citrus fruits and foods rich in fiber, since childhood. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and beta carotene (precursor of vitamin A) found in fresh fruits and vegetables, act as protective against stomach cancer because they prevent nitrites (preservatives found in processed foods) are transformed into nitrosamines. Furthermore, it is important to combat smoking and decreased intake of alcoholic beverages.

Food low in meat and fish and vitamins A and C, or high consumption of smoked, canned, or preserved with salt dyes are risk factors for this cancer. In some regions of Brazil, where foods are not kept in the refrigerator and conservation is bad, the number of cases of stomach cancer increases significantly. Ingestion of water from wells with high nitrate concentration is related to higher incidence of gastric tumors.

Some pre-existing conditions can have a strong association with this type of tumor, such as pernicious anemia, precancerous lesions (such as atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia), and infection by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Present in food and drinking water, H. pylori is considered the second most frequent, only surpassed by the bacteria in dental caries. It is estimated that inhabit the stomach of about 70% of people in Brazil, but only genetically predisposed individuals, or who are born with a receptor capable of staying in the stomach bacteria, are affected. Treatment with antibiotics is effective against bacteria in 95% of cases. H. pylori also predominates in areas where socioeconomic status is lower. It causes chronic gastritis, which progresses without treatment for atrophic gastritis and gastric atrophy. Precancerosa an injury, however, takes about 20 years to evolve and become a cancer.

Smokers who drink alcohol or have already undergone the stomach are more likely to develop this cancer, as well as people with relatives who have been diagnosed with stomach cancer.