Stomach cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as cancer, is a tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the lining of the stomach, caused by abnormal cell growth. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric , which can be divided into several subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymphomas and may also develop in the stomach. Early symptoms may include , upper pain, , and loss of appetite. Later signs and symptoms may include weight loss, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and blood in the , among others. The cancer may spread from the stomach to other parts of the body, particularly the liver, lungs, bones, lining of the , and nodes.
Underlined words are explained — tap any of them.
Symptoms — what it feels like
- ·Early:
- ·
- ·upper pain
- ·
- ·belching
- ·loss of appetiteLater: Weight loss
Causes — why it happens
- · pylori,
How it's found
- · done during
Prevention
- ·Mediterranean diet, not smoking
Treatment
- ·, , therapy, targeted therapy
Outlook
- ·Five-year survival rate
- ·40% (US, 2016–2022), 71% (Japan)
The sections below are general education drawn from public guidelines (NHS, Mayo, CPIC, WHO, ICMR). They are not individually reviewed by a clinician and are not medical advice — always talk to a doctor about your own health.
Genes that change how certain drugs work — and that differ in South Asians. This is education, not a dosing tool; genotype-guided prescribing is a clinician decision.
5-FU and capecitabine are powerful cancer drugs your body normally breaks down quickly with the DPD . People born with a weak version can't clear the drug, so a standard dose becomes a poisoning - which is why a doctor may lower the dose or choose another plan.
South Asian signal: The classic European risk variant DPYD*2A (c.1905+1G>A, rs3918290) is markedly rarer in Indians (~0.05% allele frequency) than in Europeans (~0.3-0.5%), so a European-only variant panel will miss most at-risk Indian patients; population-specific and broader DPYD variant coverage is needed. South Asian populations may carry different or under-catalogued DPYD variants, and DPD-deficiency phenotype testing remains relevant.
Prescriber note: Where DPYD testing is used before fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy, ensure the panel is not limited to European variants (DPYD*2A is rare in Indians); consider broader genotyping and/or phenotype (DPD activity) assessment, and reduce or avoid dosing per the DPYD activity score. CPIC recommends reducing the fluoropyrimidine starting dose (guided by DPYD activity score) for DPYD intermediate metabolisers and avoiding fluoropyrimidines in poor metabolisers, because reduced DPD activity sharply raises the risk of severe or fatal toxicity.
Not a dosing tool. Genotype-guided prescribing is a clinician decision; genotyping access in India is limited.