The stomach is part of the digestive system and functions to contain, break down and digest the food we eat. It is a hollow, muscular organ shaped like a large pouch, located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upper part of the stomach connects to the oesophagus and the lower part leads to the small intestine.
Stomach cancer or gastric cancer can affect any part of the stomach. The cancer can form an ulcer or a mass within the stomach which can spread throughout the entire wall of the stomach.
Stomach cancer is the 8th most common cancer in males in Singapore and the 10th most common cancer among females in Singapore. It more commonly occurs in men and individuals aged between 50 and 70 years old.
There are different types of stomach cancer, classified by the type of cell where the cancer begins. The most common type which accounts for 90-95% of stomach cancers is adenocarcinoma, which starts in the glandular cells of the stomach lining.
Other types of stomach cancer include gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), which form in the interstitial cells of Cajal, gastric lymphoma, which is a cancer of the immune system tissue found in the stomach wall and neuroendocrine tumours or carcinoid tumours, which start in the hormone-producing cells of the stomach.
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