21st Century Adult Cancer Sourcebook: Gastric Cancer (Stomach Cancer) - Clinical Data for Patients, Families, and Physicians

Authoritative information and practical advice from the nation's cancer experts about gastric (stomach) cancer includes official medical data on signs, symptoms, early detection, diagnostic testing, risk factors and prevention, treatment options, surgery, radiation, drugs, chemotherapy, staging, biology, prognosis, and survival, with a complete glossary of technical medical terms and current references.

Starting with the basics, and advancing to detailed patient-oriented and physician-quality information, this comprehensive in-depth compilation gives empowered patients, families, caregivers, nurses, and physicians the knowledge they need to understand the diagnosis and treatment of stomach cancer.

Comprehensive data on clinical trials related to gastric cancer is included - - with information on intervention, sponsor, gender, age group, trial phase, number of enrolled patients, funding source, study type, study design, NCT identification number and other IDs, first received date, start date, completion date, primary completion date, last updated date, last verified date, associated acronym, and outcome measures.

Gastric cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lining of the stomach. The stomach is a J-shaped organ in the upper abdomen. It is part of the digestive system, which processes nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) in foods that are eaten and helps pass waste material out of the body. Food moves from the throat to the stomach through a hollow, muscular tube called the esophagus. After leaving the stomach, partly-digested food passes into the small intestine and then into the large intestine. The stomach and esophagus are part of the upper digestive system. The wall of the stomach is made up of 3 layers of tissue: the mucosal (innermost) layer, the muscularis (middle) layer, and the serosal (outermost) layer. Gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the mucosal layer and spreads through the outer layers as it grows. Stromal tumors of the stomach begin in supporting connective tissue and are treated differently from gastric cancer. Age, diet, and stomach disease can affect the risk of developing gastric cancer. Risk factors for gastric cancer include the following: helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) infection of the stomach; chronic gastritis (inflammation of the stomach); pernicious anemia; intestinal metaplasia (a condition in which the normal stomach lining is replaced with the cells that line the intestines); familial adenomatous polyposis (fap) or gastric polyps; eating a diet high in salted, smoked foods and low in fruits and vegetables; eating foods that have not been prepared or stored properly; being older or male; smoking cigarettes; having a mother, father, sister, or brother who has had stomach cancer. Possible signs of gastric cancer include indigestion and stomach discomfort or pain.

Extensive supplements, with chapters gathered from our Cancer Toolkit series and other reports, cover a broad range of cancer topics useful to cancer patients. This edition includes our exclusive Guide to Leading Medical Websites with updated links to 81 of the best sites for medical information, which let you quickly check for updates from the government and the best commercial portals, news sites, reference/textbook/non-commercial portals, and health organizations. Supplemental coverage includes:

Levels of Evidence for Cancer Treatment Studies
Glossary of Clinical Trial Terms
Clinical Trials Background Information and In-Depth Program
Clinical Trials at NIH
How To Find A Cancer Treatment Trial: A Ten-Step Guide
Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies
Access to Investigational Drugs
Clinical Trials Conducted by the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Taking Time: Support for People with Cancer
Facing Forward - Life After Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy and You