Health | Charlottesville Daily Progress
Ask Your Doctor about Gastric Cancer
The following is a list of questions to ask your doctor Ask Your Doctor about Gastric Cancer  as well as tips for preparing for these conversations.

What puts me at higher risk for gastric cancer?

There are several major factors that seem to increase one's risk of gastric cancer. Men are twice as likely to get gastric cancer as women, and it is more common in people of Asian and Pacific Island descent. One's diet probably plays a major role. Smoked foods, salted meat and fish and pickled vegetables increase one's risk of gastric cancer, while eating whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables seems to lower the risk. Obesity, too, increases one's risk. Other factors that increase one's risk of stomach cancer include:

  • Smoking
  • Excessive intake of alcohol
  • A bacterial, H. pylori, ,stomach infection
  • Stomach surgery
  • Stomach polyps
  • Increased age
  • Type A blood
  • Family history of cancer

What are the symptoms of gastric cancer?

Early on, gastric cancer rarely has any symptoms. This is part of the reason it is generally not caught until the cancer has progressed. The most common symptoms of gastric cancer are:

  • A sense of fullness or swelling in the upper stomach
  • Pain in the abdomen
  • Vomiting, with or without blood
  • Nausea
  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn
  • Weight loss
  • Lack of appetite

What are some of the tests that can tell if I have gastric cancer?

If your doctor suspects gastric cancer, he will first ask you numerous questions about your medical history and symptoms. Then, he will feel your abdomen for signs of abnormalities. If after this point, your doctor still suspects gastric cancer, there are various tests he can perform to confirm the diagnosis. This usually includes an endoscopy, where a camera is inserted into your stomach via a long tube down your throat. With an endoscopy, the doctor can view your stomach and look for any abnormalities. Additionally, your doctor may use other standard tool, like a CT scan or MRI, to look at the condition of your stomach. Be sure to ask you doctor what tests he plans on doing and what you can do to prepare for them.

What are the stages of gastric cancer, and what does that mean for my treatment?

Once you are diagnosed with gastric cancer, it is important to find out its stage, as it will impact your treatment options. Most commonly, gastric cancer is staged using three letters, TNM. The T stage tells you how far the tumor has grown. The N stage tells you if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, which is a sign of advanced-stage cancer. The M stage tells you whether or not the cancer has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body. Make sure your doctor tells you where your gastric cancer ranks on each of these scales and what that means for your treatment options.

How You Can Prepare for this Discussion

  • Ask your doctor if there is a local support group or therapist that can help
  • Don't be afraid to ask for further clarification if you don't understand something
  • Bring a binder or notebook to jot down notes during your doctor's appointment
  • Bring a list of your symptoms or risk factors
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