There are several causes of stomach cancer. To use only a few are an exposure prior to radiotherapy, a bacterial infection caused by the pylori helicobacter, pernicious anemia, stomach surgery, as well as genetic factors causing predisposition to disease.
Helicobacter pylori infections now thought they are responsible for most cases of stomach cancer involving the lower half of the stomach. Stomach cancer near the junction between the esophagus and the stomach is not usually related to Helicobacter pylori infection.
Stomach cancer is a very serious condition. The symptoms usually arise later due to the high capacity of the stomach and often of the tumor is not curable at the time of diagnosis. It is for this reason that the mortality rate of patients diagnosed with stomach cancer is extremely high.
In the Far East, the incidence of stomach cancer remains high, probably due to the high rate of Helicobacter pylori infection, as well as certain dietary factors. Nobody knows for sure why the incidence of stomach cancer is decreasing in the United States.
Lowed infection rates with helicloblocter pylori, known carcinogens and causes of stomach cancer can be a partial explanation. However, other factors are probably important. Early diagnosis can occasionally be achieved if warning signals such as intestinal bleeding are immediately investigated.