□■ Causes and Factors

Although gastric cancer is one of the normal cancer but the exact causes of this cancer is a mysteries. However, researchers have proved some of the factors might get the risk of developed and diagnosed a gastric cancer.  Risk has the meaning of the opportunity of getting a disease may be higher.

*Dietary History▁

★[Adapted from http://www.mydiobeticdiettips.com/tag/diabetic-diet-plan/]

Stomach is where your eaten food process, thus eating habit can be the reason that affect the development of gastric cancer.  According to the research, the ratio of the development of gastric cancer to consumption of salt is proportional. Another words, often intake salted or pickled food will increase the risk. Nitrates and nitrites in these foods combine with other substances in stomach to form carcinogens, which are known to cause gastric cancer. Gastric cancer has a very high level in Japan where salty pickled foods are very famous. Furthermore, smoked food, for instance, ham, bacon, and sausages, also called preserved meat also can be factor. These meat contain chemicals called nitrosamines which are known to give rise a cancer in animals. Consuming high levels of red meat, more than ever when the meat is barbecued or well done, has also will linked to stomach cancer.  However, all the food may have the presence of carcinogens, no matter is naturally or food addictive, during storing; after eating the food, metabolism in body also may active the carcinogen. But the most risks will come from the processing food which contains some chemical that will damage or mutate the cell.

*AGE▁

Older people will have the higher risk to get a gastric cancer. In a statistic study, 95 out of every 100 cases are diagnosed in aging people aged 50 and above.

*TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL▁

★[Adapted from http://www.fathersez.com/]

Cigarette consists of many chemicals which can causes cancer included stomach cancer, such as benzene, formaldehyde and toluene. Therefore it is meaning that when you smoking, you swallow those carcinogens. Even you breath in the cigarette smoke also will have a risk to be diagnosed cancer. In a research has shown, about 1 in 5 stomach cancer is caused by smoking. A smoker will have twice the risk compared to non-smoker. Instead of smoking, some non-smoker will chewing a type of tobacco. This also will raises up the chance to get stomach cancer. Besides that, a research from UK states that drinking alcohol is one of the factors increase the risk of stomach cancer.

*Family Background▁

★[Adapted from http://www.qinrenwang.com/html/list_534.html]

Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC) is an inherited condition that will increase the risk of gastric cancer. The family history is act as an important factor. Basically, every cell occupied two copies of each gene, one is inherited from mother and another is from father. HDGC is according to autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, a mutation will be happened in only one copy of the gene which is means that parent who carry mutated gene may pass along a copy of normal gene or a copy of mutated gene. Researchers have found that a person from a family with the mutated gene has 70% opportunity to get gastric cancer in their life. The cancer will develop since their young time and will be in their 30’s rather than normal age which is 70’s.      

*Having Other Cancer▁

According to a statistic study, men who already had breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer or bladder cancer will expand the risk to be diagnosed a stomach cancer. For women who had breast cancer, ovarian cancer or cervical cancer also have an increased the risk. This is due to cancer cell expansion. Cancer cell will spread to other part of organ and continued growth of the cancer.

*Helicobacter Pylori Infection▁

★[Adapted from http://sameens.dia.uned.es/Trabajos9/Trab_Publicos/Trab_1/Cea_Soriano_1/home.htm]

Helicobacter pylori(HP) is one type of bacteria that can found in stomach.  Studies indicate that HP infection is more common in childhood rather than in adulthood. Normally, Helicobacter pylori infection will not show any symptoms and never develop a problem. However, it will do cause symptom. Infection of HP will cause ulcers and even increase the chance of stomach cancer in the lower part of stomach. Peptic ulcer is one type of effect of the infection of HP.

Peptic ulcer found in the stomach is named as gastric ulcer. Peptic ulcer or gastric ulcer is a defect in the lining of stomach. There have many evidence indicate, gastric ulcer affect the risk of getting gastric cancer. The common symptoms of ulcer are pain, lack of appetite, vomiting, and bloating. Helicobacter pylori is present approximately 50% of the world’s population but millions of people who infected do not get the cancer because other factors might interact with this bacterium. For example, diet and smoking mentioned before. HP can be spread by consuming contaminated food or water. This bacteria change the stomash by infecting the protective tissue in the stomach and this will cause to release some enzymes and toxins and also activated the immune system. Thus, stomach cells can be injured directly or indirectly and causes severe chronic atrophic gastritis (SCAG), an inflammatory which affected by HP infection, can lead to gastric cancer as well. SCAG raised up the chance of gastric cancer in both upper and lower part of stomach. As a result, stomach becomes exposed to be damage from stomach acid, also known as digestive juice.    

*Anti-inflammatory Drugs▁

★[Adapted from http://www.cheapmedicinechest.com/racial-differences-in-analgesicanti-lnflammatory-medication-use-discussion.html]

Anti-inflammatory drugs also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Examples of types of the NSAIDs are aspirin, diclofenac and ibuprofen. Anti-inflammatory drugs are mains for arthritis, muscular pain and the researchers had proven that this can slightly reduce the risk of stomach cancer. They found that if daily taking aspirin will lower the chance of dying from stomach cancer. However, NSAIDs can affect mucus barrier in stomach and the acid in stomach will develop a stomach or duodenal ulcer.

*Having Polyps in Digestive System▁

★[Adapted from http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/260739/enlarge]

The stomach polyps are tiny growths on the lining of stomach. This is a rare condition called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) which is show up less than 1% of patients who experiences an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. It is an inherited condition where polyps develop throughout the lining of the digestive system. Normally, stomach polyps will not appear any symptoms, however, they may cause pain, bleeding or vomiting.  Most of the polyps will cause an ulcer but not that serious to cause a cancer but adenomatous polyp and leiomyoma polyp is the example of polyps that will develop gastric cancer.

*Body Weight▁

★[Adapted from http://onepointhealthlab.com/]

Research show that higher body mass index or obesity may raise up the risk of gastric cancer. Overweight will increase the risk of acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is the esophagus been irritated or inflamed due to back up of acid from stomach. The common symptom is heartburn after eating. 

*Reduced immunity_

       Adapted from: www.guardian.co.uk/news/dadablog/2011/jun/un-drugs-report-afghanistan

People who immune systems had been suppressed due to infection with HIV, AIDS, or drugs taken following an organ transplant, will increase the risk of stomach cancer compared to other people.