Gastric Cancer

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Prevention | Additional Resources

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Purposes of this summary

The purposes of this summary on stomach cancer prevention are to:

  • Give information on stomach cancer and how often it occurs.
  • Describe stomach cancer prevention methods.
  • Give current facts about which people or groups of people would most likely be helped by following stomach cancer prevention methods.


Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Prevention

Stomach cancer is also called gastric cancer. The most common type of stomach cancer is gastric adenocarcinoma, or cancer of the glandular tissue in the stomach. Other rarer forms of stomach cancer include lymphomas (cancer involving the lymphatic system) and sarcomas (cancer of the connective tissue, such as muscle, fat, or blood vessels).

Significance of stomach cancer

Over most of the century, the frequency of stomach cancer has been decreasing. Over the past several years, the number of new cases of stomach cancer in the United States seems to be steady, while the number of deaths has greatly decreased.


Diet and Lifestyle: Excessive salt intake has been identified as a possible risk factor for stomach cancer. Having a high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables may be associated with a decreased risk of stomach cancer. Studies have suggested that eating foods that contain beta-carotene and vitamin C may decrease the risk of stomach cancer, especially if intake of micronutrients is inadequate.

Helicobacter pylori Infection: There is strong evidence that infection with a certain bacteria, Helicobacter pylori, is associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer. However, it is not known if treating Helicobacter pylori infection with antibiotics decreases the risk of stomach cancer.

Cancer information from the NCI PDQ service