Battling Cancer

By Michael Russell

Stomach cancer is a disease in which tumors are found in the stomach. If it is not diagnosed quickly, it may spread to other parts of your stomach as well as to other organs. Research indicates that more than 25,000 Americans are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year. Also, more than 13,000 Americans die from this disease annually. There are twice as many males with this disease than females. The majority of people with stomach cancer are between fifty and seventy years old. It is more prevalent in Japan, Korea, Great Britain, South America and Iceland than in the United States.

There are ten times as many cases in Japan than in the United States. Contrary to these other countries, the number of cases in the United States has decreased over time. The precise cause of stomach cancer has so far eluded researchers. But risk factors have been identified that will increase your chances of developing this disease. Research has shown that diets high in salt and nitrites can increase your chances of developing stomach cancer. There are a smaller number of cases among native Japanese people who moved to the United States and adopted the diets of Americans in comparison to those who stayed in Japan and continued with the Japanese diet. There are a high number of cases among people who work as coal miners or who work processing timber, nickel and rubber. People who are exposed to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori have developed lymphomas in the stomach.

More →