Understanding Stomach Cancer

What is Stomach For?

The stomach is a storage organ for food. When you eat your meals, food stays in the stomach for a while, and this is where digestion starts. Food is churned up, and mixed with acid until it is partly liquefied, when it is passed on into the rest of the bowel for further digestion, and for the nutrients to be absorbed. The stomach is actually a large hollow muscle, whose movement is controlled by nerves and hormones, triggered by the sight, smell or sound of food.

How does stomach cancer start?

Cancers of the stomach are not all the same, and it is likely
that there are different causes.

Certain conditions of the stomach may predispose to stomach cancer. These include pernicious anaemia, chronic inflammation, ulcers and large polyps. Smoking, and a high salt or high nitrate/nitrite diet may also cause problems. Nitrites are found in cured meats, pickled fish, and may also originate in fertilisers.

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium which can infect the stomach. This may lead to ulcers, and is also thought to predispose to stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer does not often run in families; a family history of stomach cancer is found in less than one in ten patients with the condition.

How does an ulcer turn into a cancer?

The genes that control the growth of stomach cells become disorganised, making the cells grow quickly, and beyond their normal boundaries. As the tumour enlarges, the cells grow through the lining of the stomach, and can invade adjacent structures such as fat or the pancreas. Some cells can break away, travel up the bloodstream and go to other sites such as the liver or lungs. These are known as secondaries, or metastases.

What protects against stomach cancer?

A healthy diet containing fruit, vegetables and some animal fat and protein may help to prevent stomach cancer. The widespread use of frozen rather than pickled foods may have influenced the reduction in the incidence of the problem over the last fifty years.

Medical advice


Does early diagnosis make a difference?

The earlier a diagnosis can be made, the more likely it is that the problem can be cured. The longer a cancer is present in the stomach, the more likely it is that it will spread to other parts of the body such as lymph glands and the liver.

What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

Stomach cancer can present in many different ways depending on which part of the stomach is involved. Indigestion (pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen related to eating or drinking), and loss of appetite are common, and associated with weight loss. If the cancer is at the top of the stomach near the gullet, it may cause difficulty with swallowing food. If it is at the bottom of the stomach, it may cause vomiting of food. Cancers can sometimes bleed, leading to symptoms of anaemia such as tiredness and shortness of breath.

Aren’t some symptoms similar to those of a peptic ulcer?

Many of the symptoms of stomach cancer are similar to those of a benign ulcer. It is very important that any new occurrences of the symptoms listed above are reported to your doctor if you are over 40.

How is the diagnosis made?

Occasionally a lump can be felt in the abdomen, but other tests are always needed.

• Endoscopy (video examination of the stomach). This is a simple test carried out under local anaesthetic. A small sample of tissue is taken for examination under a microscope (histology) and a test is taken for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium which can infect the stomach and is thought to increase the risk of stomach cancer.

• CT scan – this is an X-Ray which takes 3 dimensional pictures of the chest, abdomen and pelvis areas. It gives information about the stomach itself, and also about other areas that disease may have spread to.

What happens once cancer is diagnosed?

If the tests show that you have stomach cancer, you will be referred to a cancer specialist – usually a surgeon – for further assessment. It is likely that you will have a staging laparoscopy. Under a general anaesthetic, a small telescope is passed through the belly button into the abdomen to examine the stomach and other areas closely. The results of your tests will then be discussed by a group of cancer experts, and a decision will be made on the best form of treatment.

How are cancers of the stomach treated?

Once checks have been made that it has not spread anywhere else, most stomach cancers will be removed by surgery. Either a part of the stomach or the whole stomach is removed, with lymph
glands that are close by. The stomach or gullet is then joined to the bowel (anastomosis). Once the cancer has been removed it is examined closely under the microscope to decide exactly what stage it is at. If the cancer is an early one that has not spread through the stomach wall, then no
further treatment may be necessary. If the cancer has spread through the wall, or involved lymph glands you may be offered further treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a
combination of both. Sometimes chemotherapy is given before surgery.


What happens after surgery?


You will stay in hospital for about 10 days after your operation. You will take 6 to 8 weeks to recover fully. You will see a dietician who will advise you on the best foods to eat. The main advice will be to eat a balanced diet, little and often. All the test results will be discussed to decide if any further treatment is necessary. You will be told the results when you come back to see your surgeon about a month after surgery. You will be seen regularly in clinic over the months and years after your treatment, and will be offered regular blood tests. Sometimes further scans and endoscopies are needed to see if the cancer has come back. If the problem does recur, it can be treated again, usually with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

What is advanced stomach cancer?

If the cancer has already spread beyond the stomach to other structures when it is diagnosed, it is sometimes not amenable to surgery. In this case it is treated by chemotherapy, and sometimes radiotherapy. There are some new minimal access (endoscopic) ways of dealing with problems such as blockages, by using fine mesh tubes called stents. Cancer can sometimes become advanced even after treatment, and careful follow up is usually necessary.

If I have had stomach cancer, what can I do to stop it coming back?

A healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet and a positive mental attitude are good advice. Regular medical follow up is also important.

Are there any implications for my family?

Only about 4% of patients with stomach cancer have a close relative with the same problem. It is therefore not likely that other members of your family will need to be screened. They should however be advised on a healthy diet.

Is there a screening programme for stomach cancer?

In some areas of the world such as Japan, the incidence of stomach cancer is so high that endoscopic screening is carried out on everyone. In the UK, the incidence of the problem is a lot lower, so screening is not necessary.

What research is going on?

Recent research into the treatment of stomach cancer has centred around how medical treatment may improve the results of surgery. Treating some patients with chemotherapy before surgery may improve long term outcome, and some patients with more advanced disease may benefit from post-operative chemotherapy, sometimes with radiotherapy as well. Trials are in progress to study these factors in more detail.

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Oh My GOD.. HEARt Attack!!!!! ( DONT PANIC )

How to Treat a HEART ATTACK?

A heart attack victim whose heart is still beating has a much better chance of survival than a victim whose heart has stopped! Most heart attack victims who die succumb within 2 hours after having their heart attack. Many of these victims could be saved if bystanders recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and get the victim to a hospital quickly! Indeed, many victims of heart attacks think they are experiencing HEARTBURN or other minor discomfort when in fact their life is in jeopardy! This is why this article provides basic information for emergency first aid.

Steps

# Comfort & reassure the victim

# Don’t panic. The casualty will likely clutch their chest and may fall over. Sit them down if they are conscious, with their knees up and back leaning on something. Call an ambulance immediately.

# If they are unconscious then lie them on their back, check that nothing is obstructing their airways (could be tongue) and listen with your ear just over their mouth for breathing.

# If you are on their right, rotate your head to the right, so that you can watch for the rise and fall of their chest. If they are not breathing after you have listened for a count of ten, then give two breaths, pinching their nose to prevent loss of air, and breathing away from them to maximize oxygen content.

# Check for circulation – if they have an obvious pulse that’s great, but any movement is a sign of circulation, and blueness and other discolouration is a sign of a lack of it. Pinching a digit (fingers) and watching for recolouring – if there is fast recolouring, this is a sign of circulation.

# Don’t waste time checking for circulation if it is slowing down the process. Someone else can do that as you check for airways.

# If there is not circulation, then start cardio resuscitation. This means putting a hand on the split of the casualty’s lungs (the top of the inverted V) and your other hand on top.

# Interlock and raise your fingers so the heel of your hand is all that touches them. Straighten your arms and depress their chest 5cm (if they’re over 8rys old) with your whole weight.

# Raise again and do this 30 times. Then perform two rescue breaths. Someone else can take over the chest compressions if they’re competent or if you’re tired but it is best just one person does the breaths.

# Continue the 30:2 cycle until help arrives or until you’re likely to become a casualty too. Don’t endanger yourself.

# The most important thing to remember is that you should call an ambulance the second you suspect it is a heart attack, or if you have an unconscious casualty.

Tips

Keep them calm and keep everyone else calm if you can. Assign jobs to prevent panic.

Warnings

• This is only a guide to assist the person, not cure the heart attack. This care should be given to them while emergency crews are on their way.

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WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA??

The term “apnea” means without breath and sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by stopping or pausing breath during sleep. This is not a mild sleep disorder as longer pauses between breaths can lead to fatal consequences. Each pause in breathing spans between ten to twenty seconds or more but these pauses occur more than twenty to thirty times every hour.

Sleep apnea occurs because adequate air is unable to flow in to the lungs through the mouth or nose as one tries to breathe regularly causing a pause in the breathing activity. Normal breathing resumes with a sudden snort or choking sound but the oxygen levels in blood drop every time there is a pause in breathing.

Sleep apnea is broadly classified into two types: Central and Obstructive. Central sleep apnea is caused due to lack of effort in breathing regularly while Obstructive Sleep Apnea is caused due to a physical block in regular breathing despite effort.

If left untreated sleep apnea can cause: hypertension, stroke, irregular heart beat, heart failure or heart attack.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

- Loud snoring
- Dry or parched throat on waking up
- Gasping or choking for breath
- Poor quality of sleep leading to sleepiness during the day
- Memory problems
- Morning headaches
- Relatively higher levels of irritation
- Inability to concentrate for a longer duration
- Depression or mood swings

Causes of Sleep Apnea

The causes and concerns that lead to sleep apnea as a disorder are:

- Inability of the air to flow to the lungs from the mouth or nose due to physical obstruction or lack of effort
- Brief collapsing of the throat causing pauses in breath
- The extra soft tissues in the throat among obese or over weight persons make it difficult to keep the throat area open for circulation of air
- Large tonsils or adenoids may also cause disruption in air flow to the lungs causing pauses in breath
- Hereditary or genetic features of the body such that the shape of the head and neck result in a relatively small airway between the mouth and throat area

Remedies for Sleep Apnea

- Quit smoking and lose weight if a person is overweight
- Avoid alcohol and consumption of sleeping pills
- Change sleep positions to ensure regular breathing
- Tie a ball in socks and tie it across your waist such that you will change your position regularly
- Avoid sleeping on the back and try sleeping laterally
- Conduct polysomnography, a diagnostic test which measures and records a number of physiologic variables during sleep.

Diet for Sleep Apnea

There is no specific diet or particular foods that can help treat or prevent sleep apnea

People with sleep apnea run higher death risk

People with severe sleep apnea face a much higher risk of mortality than 'normal' people, which increases when the condition is untreated.

Results show that people who have severe sleep apnea, which involves breathing pauses during sleep, have three times the risk of dying due to any cause compared with people who do not have sleep apnea.

This risk is represented by an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.2 after controlling for age, sex and body mass index. When 126 participants who reported regular use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy were removed from the statistical analysis, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality related to severe sleep apnea rose to 4.3.

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Thyroid Imbalance causes Tiredness

Medical doctors of the Thyroid Society, based in Houstan say that if You are sleeping a lot, longer than usual , yet still have to drag yourself through a day, CAUTION: You may have a Thyroid Problem !!!

The Thyroid Gland , located in the neck just below the Adam's apple, produces hormones that tells your cells how fast you work.

For more information about Thyroid Glance at http://health2dy.blogspot.com/2008/07/interesting-faqs-about-thyroid.html

If the gland produces less than normal amount of thyroid hormone , the body suffers a metabolic slowdown; your heart rate may decline; you may ge constipated and experience muscle cramps; your skin can become dry, your hair thin and your voice husky, and you may gain weight for no obvious reason. This is called Hypothyroidism.

Having too much Thyroid hormone- Hyperthyroidism can also cause fatigue. It is because high hormone levels can weaken muscles Other symptoms are rapid heart beat, sweating and weight loss. Hyperthyroidism can strike at any age and unusually results from any age auto-immune disorder known as Grave's disease.

Doctors test for Thyroid trouble by feeling for an enlarged gland and by ordering special blood tests. Both Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism require medication.

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Tooth loss might raise cancer risk

Tooth loss and periodontal disease might increase the risk of developing various cancers. Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth and eventually results in tooth loss.

Previous studies have suggested that tooth loss and periodontal disease might increase the risk of developing various cancers, but the role of smoking in the association has been unclear so far.

To assess whether periodontal disease or tooth loss is associated with cancer risk, American researchers collected data on more than 48,000 men, aged between 40 and 75 years. The most common cancers reported were colorectal, melanoma, lung and bladder and advanced prostate cancer.

After taking into account other risk factors, such as smoking and diet, the researchers found that men with a history of gum disease had a 14 percent higher risk of developing cancer compared with men did not have a history of the condition. The risk for specific cancers was typically higher. Compared to men with healthy gums, men with a history of gum disease had a 36 percent increased risk of lung cancer, a 49 percent hike in risk of kidney cancer, a 54 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer, and a 30 percent increased risk of white blood cell cancers. Further, men who had fewer teeth at the beginning of the study had a 70 percent increased risk of developing lung cancer, compared with men who had 25 to 32 teeth.

It was also noted that the association between gum disease and lung cancer disappeared among men with gum disease who had never smoked. However, men with gum disease who did not smoke had a 35 percent increased risk for blood cancers and a 21 percent overall increased risk for cancer.

The findings indicate a small, but significant association between periodontal disease and increase in overall cancer risk, which persisted in never-smokers. However, more elaborate studies are expected to flow in to confirm the associations.

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Fish prevents brain damage

Adults who regularly eat fish may have a lower risk of subtle brain damage that contributes to stroke and dementia.
Previous studies have shown that fish and fish oil can help prevent stroke but no study has yet looked into the impact of fish on silent brain infracts. To investigate the association between fish consumption and brain abnormalities, Finnish researchers studied the MRI scans of 3,660 adults aged 65 years and older. Food frequency questionnaires were used to assess the dietary intakes of the participants. The participants were scanned again after five years.

It was found that those who ate more fish were less likely to show certain silent brain infarcts, tiny areas of tissue that die because of an insufficient blood supply. Silent or subclinical brain infracts raise a person's longer-term risk of having a stroke or developing dementia. The participants who reported that they ate tuna and other baked or broiled fish at least three times per week were one-quarter less likely to have subclinical brain infarcts at the start of the study than those who rarely ate fish. Fish eaters also tended to be less likely to develop new infarcts over the next five years. No such benefits were linked to fried fish consumption.

The findings were attributable to two major omega-3 fatty acids found in fish-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that have clinically important health benefit of lowering the odds of developing silent brain infracts among adults.

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