Stomach cancer

Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is more common in men than in women. This cancer type is increasingly less common in the Netherlands and is much less common here than in Asia, for example.

The cause of stomach cancer is often unknown. One potential factor in its development is a stomach bacterium. STomach cvancer can be hereditary. Some people develop stomach cancer because of a genetic predisposition, although hereditary stomach cancer is very rare.

Common symptoms of stomach cancer

The symptoms of stomach cancer can be hard to recognize in the beginning. The stomach is a large organ, which means that a tumor can grow quite large before it starts causing symptoms. Patients usually experience vague symptoms like:

• abdominal pain;
• bloating;
• discomfort after meals;
• vomiting;
• weight loss without a cause;
• muscle weakness;
• pale complexion;
• fatigue (caused by anemia);
• black stools;
• vomiting (with or without blood)—if a tumor blocks the passage of the intestine.