Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is a cancer that starts in the stomach.Smoking increases the risk of developing gastric cancer significantly, from 40% increased risk for current smokers to 82% increase for heavy smokers. Gastric cancers due to smoking mostly occur in the upper part of the stomach near the esophagus. Dietary factors are not proven causes,but some foods including smoked foods, salt and salt-rich foods, red meat, processed meat, pickled vegetables, and bracken are associated with a higher risk of stomach cancer.

Diagnosis is usually by biopsy done during endoscopy. The pathologic examination of the resected specimen shows incomplete resection or deep invasion by tumor, the patient would need a formal stomach resection.This is then followed by medical imaging to determine if the disease has spread to other parts of the body. Surgery remains the only curative therapy for stomach cancer.

 The population is stable at about 131,000 inhabitants (2010), 2009 with a net migration out of the county of 0.3% per year (1996-2000)