Stomach Cancer Survival Rate

If you require a comprehensive overview on stomach cancer survival rate, then here is an article providing you with all the required facts.

Stomach cancer is a malignant tumor arising from any part of the stomach. The stomach is a sac-like organ that has its location in the upper-middle area of the abdomen. Medical experts also refer to this condition as gastric cancer.

Causes and Symptoms

Experts are not sure what exactly causes this disorder; however, the National Cancer Institute has identified the following risk factors:

• Age more than 60 years
• Male gender
• Being an individual belonging to the Asian, Pacific Islander, African-American, or Hispanic origin
• Smoking
• Stomach inflammation for a long time
• Family history
• Excessive consumption of salted, smoked, or pickled foods
• Lack of physical activity
• Obesity

Common symptoms include:

• Bloating (usually felt post eating)
• Heartburn
• Vomiting blood or having bloody stools
• Stomach ache
• Digestion problems
• Nausea or vomiting
• Unintended weight loss
• Feeling full even after small meals

Prognosis

The prognosis of a disease signifies the medical opinion about the way it would progress or about its outcome. It depends upon multiple factors. They include: the type, location, stage, and nature of the cancer, the person’s age, and overall health.

Survival Statistics

The aim of the survival statistics is to provide the patients a simplified overview of the disease and its impact. One such statistic was presented by the American Cancer Society. In the US about 22,280 patients were diagnosed with the disease in 2006. Another record in the United Kingdom revealed that in the year 1971, about 14,100 patients could not survive the disease. And the same study when conducted in 2008, showed that 5,200 people died due to this condition. This means that the number of deaths declined by 63%.

The survival rate of stomach cancer refers to a study which derives the percentage of patients who were able to survive the cancer, after the disease was diagnosed. Now, many statistics take a period of about 5 years. This implies that the statistics provide the percentage of patients who were able to survive for at least 5 years post the diagnosis.

It is very essential to determine the stage of cancer as it is related to the patient’s survival, and it also helps to administer the appropriate treatment. If the disease is detected at an early stage, the patient will have better chances of long-term survival. There are various stages of cancer as mentioned below:

in situ: This is an early stage where the cancerous cells do not penetrate the surrounding tissues. The survival rate is the highest in this stage.

Localized: This is an early-stage tumor which is malignant, and it is restricted only to the affected organ.

Regional: This is a late-stage cancer which is malignant and has extended beyond the affected organ into the surrounding organs, tissues, or regional-lymph nodes.

Distant: This is a late stage, malignant tumor that has spread to distant organs, tissues, and/or lymph nodes.

Unstaged: During diagnosis, the information required to determine the stage of the cancer is inadequate.

According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, the stomach cancer five-year survival rate by the stage, race, and gender in the US, between 2002-2008 was as follows:

Five-Year Survival Rate (%)

Being diagnosed with any type of cancer can be frightening and disheartening for the patient. Following the recommended treatment procedures and being updated with latest findings of the disease may help one to cope with the condition.

Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.