Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Prevention (PDQ®): Prevention - Patient Information [NCI]-Stomach Cancer Pr
Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Prevention (PDQ®): Prevention - Patient Information [NCI]-Stomach Cancer Prevention
Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may help prevent stomach cancer.
Avoiding cancer risk factors may help prevent certain cancers. Risk factors include smoking, being overweight, and not getting enough exercise. Increasing protective factors such as quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising may also help prevent some cancers. Talk to your doctor or other health care professional about how you might lower your risk of cancer.
General Information About Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx.The nasopharynx is the upper part of the pharynx (throat) behind the nose. The pharynx is a hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes from the throat to the stomach). Air and food pass through the pharynx on the way to the trachea or the esophagus. The nostrils lead into the nasopharynx....
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The following are risk factors for stomach cancer:
Certain medical conditions
Having any of the following medical conditions may increase the risk of stomach cancer:
Certain genetic conditions
Genetic conditions may increase the risk of stomach cancer in people with any of the following:
Diet
The risk of stomach cancer may be increased in people who:
Environmental causes
Environmental factors that may increase the risk of stomach cancer include:
The risk of stomach cancer is increased in people who come from countries where stomach cancer is common.
The following are protective factors that may decrease the risk of stomach cancer:
Stopping smoking
Studies show that smoking is linked with an increased risk of stomach cancer. Stopping smoking or never smoking decreases the risk of stomach cancer. Smokers who stop smoking lower their risk of having stomach cancer over time.
Treating Helicobacter pylori infection
Studies show that chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria is linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer. When H. pylori bacteria infects the stomach, the stomach may become inflamed and cause changes in the cells that line the stomach. Over time, these cells become abnormal and may become cancer.
Avoiding cancer risk factors may help prevent certain cancers. Risk factors include smoking, being overweight, and not getting enough exercise. Increasing protective factors such as quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising may also help prevent some cancers. Talk to your doctor or other health care professional about how you might lower your risk of cancer.
Recommended Related to Cancer
General Information About Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx.The nasopharynx is the upper part of the pharynx (throat) behind the nose. The pharynx is a hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes from the throat to the stomach). Air and food pass through the pharynx on the way to the trachea or the esophagus. The nostrils lead into the nasopharynx....
Read the General Information About Nasopharyngeal Cancer article > >
The following are risk factors for stomach cancer:
Certain medical conditions
Having any of the following medical conditions may increase the risk of stomach cancer:
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of the stomach.
- Intestinal metaplasia (a condition in which the cells that line the stomach are replaced by cells that normally line the intestines).
- Chronic atrophic gastritis (thinning of the stomach lining caused by long-term inflammation of the stomach).
- Pernicious anemia (a type of anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency).
- Stomach (gastric) polyps.
Certain genetic conditions
Genetic conditions may increase the risk of stomach cancer in people with any of the following:
- A mother, father, sister, or brother who has had stomach cancer.
- Type A blood.
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).
- Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC; Lynch syndrome).
Diet
The risk of stomach cancer may be increased in people who:
- Eat a diet low in fruits and vegetables.
- Eat a diet high in salted or smoked foods.
- Eat foods that have not been prepared or stored the way they should be.
Environmental causes
Environmental factors that may increase the risk of stomach cancer include:
- Being exposed to radiation.
- Working in the rubber or coal industry.
The risk of stomach cancer is increased in people who come from countries where stomach cancer is common.
The following are protective factors that may decrease the risk of stomach cancer:
Stopping smoking
Studies show that smoking is linked with an increased risk of stomach cancer. Stopping smoking or never smoking decreases the risk of stomach cancer. Smokers who stop smoking lower their risk of having stomach cancer over time.
Treating Helicobacter pylori infection
Studies show that chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria is linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer. When H. pylori bacteria infects the stomach, the stomach may become inflamed and cause changes in the cells that line the stomach. Over time, these cells become abnormal and may become cancer.
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