The risk factors for anal cancer

A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t.

Several factors can affect your risk of anal cancer. But having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get cancer. Many people with risk factors never develop anal cancer, while others with this disease may have few or no known risk factors.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection

Most squamous cell anal cancers seem to be linked to infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV), the same virus that causes cervical cancer. In fact, women with a history of cervical cancer (or pre-cancer) have an increased risk of anal cancer.

HPV is a group of more than 150 related viruses. They are called papilloma viruses because some of them cause papillomas, which are more commonly known as warts. There are many subtypes of HPV, but the one most likely to cause anal cancer is HPV-16. HPV-16, as well as HPV-18, HPV-31, HPV-33, HPV-45, and some others are considered high-risk types of HPV because they are strongly linked to cancer. They can also cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women, as well as cancer of the penis in men, and throat cancer in both women and men.

Other subtypes of HPV can cause warts in the genital and anal areas. The medical term for an anal or genital wart is condyloma acuminatum. The 2 types of HPV that cause most cases of anal and genital warts are HPV-6 and HPV-11. They are called low-risk types of HPV because they tend to cause warts but not cancer. HPV infection can cause anal and genital warts, but most people infected with HPV do not have genital warts or any other signs of infection.

HPV is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin contact with an infected area of the body. HPV can be spread during sex – including vaginal, anal, and oral sex – but sex doesn’t have to occur for the infection to spread. All that is needed is for there to be skin-to-skin contact with an area of the body infected with HPV. The virus can be spread through genital-to-genital contact, or even hand-to-genital contact.

An HPV infection can also spread from one part of the body to another. For example, an HPV infection might start in the genitals and then spread to the anus.

It can be very hard to avoid being exposed to HPV. It might be possible to prevent genital HPV infection by not allowing others to have contact with your anal or genital area, but even then there could be other ways to become infected that aren’t yet clear.

Infection with HPV is common, and in most cases the body can clear the infection on its own. But in some people the infection doesn’t go away and becomes chronic. Chronic infection, especially with high-risk HPV types, can eventually cause certain cancers, including anal cancer.

HPV in men

For men, the 2 main factors influencing the risk of genital HPV infection are circumcision and the number of sexual partners.

Men who are circumcised (have had the foreskin of the penis removed) have a lower chance of becoming and staying infected with HPV. The reasons for this are unclear. It might be that the skin on the glans (tip) of the penis goes through changes after circumcision that make it more resistant to HPV infection. Another theory is that the surface of the foreskin (which is removed by circumcision) is more easily infected by HPV. Still, circumcision does not protect completely against HPV infection – men who are circumcised can still get HPV and pass it on to their partners.

The risk of being infected with HPV is also strongly linked to having many sexual partners (over a man’s lifetime).

HPV in women

In women, HPV infections occur mainly when they are younger and are less common in women over 30. The reason for this is not clear. Certain types of sexual behavior increase a woman’s risk of getting a genital HPV infection, such as having sex at an early age and having many sexual partners.

Although women who have had many sexual partners are more likely to get infected with HPV, a woman can still get infected even if she has had only one sexual partner. This is more likely if she has a partner who has had many sex partners or if her partner is an uncircumcised male.

For more information about HPV and HPV vaccines, see HPV Vaccines.

Anal warts

Anal warts (also known as condyloma acuminata) are caused by infection with certain types of HPV – usually different types from those most likely to cause anal cancer. While anal warts themselves are unlikely to develop into anal cancer, people who have had anal warts are more likely to get anal cancer. This is because people who are infected with the low-risk HPV subtypes that cause anal and genital warts are also more likely to be infected with high-risk HPV subtypes that cause anal cancer.

Having certain other cancers

Women who have had cancer of the cervix, vagina, or vulva are at increased risk of anal cancer. This is probably because these cancers are also caused by infection with HPV.

In men, it would seem likely that having had penile cancer, which is also linked to HPV infection, would increase the risk of anal cancer, but this link has not been shown in studies.

HIV infection

People infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, are much more likely to get anal cancer than those not infected with this virus. For more information about HIV and AIDS, see our document HIV Infection, AIDS, and Cancer.

Sexual activity

Having multiple sex partners increases the risk of infection with HIV and HPV. It also increases the risk of anal cancer.

Receptive anal intercourse also increases the risk of anal cancer in both men and women, particularly in those younger than 30. Because of this, men who have sex with men have a high risk of this cancer.

Smoking

Smoking increases the risk of anal cancer. Current smokers are several times more likely to have cancer of the anus compared with people who do not smoke. Quitting smoking seems to reduce the risk. People who used to smoke but have quit are only slightly more likely to develop this cancer compared with people who never smoked.

Lowered immunity

Higher rates of anal cancer occur among people with reduced immunity, such as people with AIDS or people who have had an organ transplant and must take medicines that suppress their immune system.

Gender and race/ethnicity

Anal cancer is more common in women than men overall and in most racial/ethnic groups. However, in African Americans it is more common in men than in women.


Source By...http://www.cancer.org/cancer/analcancer/detailedguide/anal-cancer-risk-factors

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The risk factors for penile cancer

What are the risk factors for penile cancer?
A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some cancer risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.

But having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. On the other hand, some men who develop penile cancer have no known risk factors.

Scientists have found certain risk factors that make a man more likely to develop penile cancer.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a group of more than 150 related viruses. They are called papilloma viruses because some of them cause growths called papillomas, which are more commonly called warts. Different HPV types cause different types of warts in various parts of the body. Certain HPV types can infect the genital organs and the anal area, causing raised, bumpy warts called condyloma acuminata (or just condylomas).

Other HPV types have been linked with certain cancers. For example, infection with some types of HPV appears to be an important risk factor for penile cancer. HPV is found in about half of all penile cancers.

HPV is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin contact with an infected area of the body. HPV can be spread during sex – including vaginal, anal, and oral – but sex doesn’t have to occur for the infection to spread. All that is needed is skin-to-skin contact with an area of the body infected with HPV. Infection with HPV can also spread from one part of the body to another. For example, infection may start in the penis and then spread to the anus.

HPV infection is common. Some research has suggested that about half of all men have a genital HPV infection at any point in time. In most men, the body clears the infection on its own. In some, however, the infection does not go away and becomes chronic. Chronic infection, especially with certain HPV types, can eventually cause some types of cancer, including penile cancer. Men who are not circumcised are more likely to get and stay infected with HPV.


Circumcision removes all (or part) of the foreskin. This procedure is most often done in infants but it can be done later in life. Men who were circumcised as children have a lower chance of getting penile cancer than those who were not, but the same protective effect is not seen if the foreskin is removed as an adult. Some studies even suggested a higher risk of penile cancer in men who were circumcised as adults.

The reason for the lower risk in circumcised men is not entirely clear, but it may be related to other known risk factors. For example, men who are circumcised can’t develop the condition called phimosis, and don’t accumulate material known as smegma (see next section). Men with smegma or phimosis have an increased risk of penile cancer. The later a man is circumcised, the more likely it is that one of these conditions will occur first. Also, circumcised men are less likely to get and stay infected with the human papilloma virus (HPV), even after accounting for differences in sexual behavior. Again, the later a man is circumcised, the more likely it is that he will be infected with HPV before the procedure.

In weighing the risks and benefits of circumcision, doctors consider the fact that penile cancer is very uncommon in the United States, even among uncircumcised men. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that the health benefits of circumcision in newborn males outweigh the risks, it also states these benefits are not great enough to recommend that all newborns be routinely circumcised.

In the end, decisions about circumcision are highly personal and often depend more on social and religious factors than on medical evidence.

Phimosis and smegma

Uncircumcised men with certain conditions are at higher risk for penile cancer.

Phimosis

In men who are not circumcised, the foreskin can sometimes become tight and difficult to retract. This condition is known as phimosis. Penile cancer is more common in men with phimosis. The reason for this is not clear, but it might be related to the buildup of smegma.

Smegma

Sometimes secretions can build up underneath an intact foreskin. If the area under the foreskin isn’t cleaned well, these secretions build up enough to become a thick, sometimes smelly substance called smegma. Smegma is more common in men with phimosis, but can occur in anyone with a foreskin, if the foreskin is not retracted regularly to clean the head of the penis.

In the past some experts were concerned that smegma might contain compounds that can cause cancer. Most experts now believe that smegma itself probably doesn’t cause penile cancer, but it can irritate and inflame the penis, which can increase the risk of cancer. It may also make it harder to see very early cancers.

Smoking

Men who smoke are more likely to develop penile cancer. Smokers who have HPV infections have an even higher risk. Smoking exposes your body to many cancer-causing chemicals. These harmful substances are inhaled into the lungs, where they are absorbed into the blood. They can travel in the bloodstream throughout the body to cause cancer in many different areas. Researchers believe that these substances damage genes in cells of the penis, which can lead to penile cancer. Smoking also increases the risk of HPV infection, probably due to its effects on immune function.

UV light treatment of psoriasis

Men who have a skin disease called psoriasis are sometimes treated with drugs called psoralens, followed by exposing the body to an ultraviolet A (UVA) light source. This is known as PUVA therapy. Men who have had this treatment have been found to have a higher rate of penile cancer. Because of this risk, men being treated with PUVA now have their genitals covered during treatment.

Age

The risk of penile cancer goes up with age. The average age of a man when diagnosed is 68, and about 4 out of 5 penile cancers are diagnosed in men over age 55.

AIDS

Men with AIDS have a higher risk of penile cancer. This higher risk seems to be related to their weakened immune system, which is a result of this disease. But it might also be linked to other risk factors that men with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) are more likely to have. For example, men with HIV are more likely to smoke and to be infected with HPV.


Source By..http://www.cancer.org/cancer/penilecancer/detailedguide/penile-cancer-risk-factors

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The risk factors for stomach cancer

A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.

But risk factors don’t tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get the disease. And many people who get the disease may have few or no known risk factors.

Scientists have found several risk factors that make a person more likely to get stomach cancer. Some of these can be controlled, but others cannot.

Gender

Stomach cancer is more common in men than in women.

Age

There is a sharp increase in stomach cancer rates in people over the age of 50. Most people diagnosed with stomach cancer are between their late 60s and 80s.

Ethnicity

In the United States, stomach cancer is more common in Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders than it is in non-Hispanic whites.

Geography

Worldwide, stomach cancer is more common in Japan, China, Southern and Eastern Europe, and South and Central America. This disease is less common in Northern and Western Africa, South Central Asia, and North America.

Helicobacter pylori infection

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) bacteria seems to be a major cause of stomach cancer, especially cancers in the lower (distal) part of the stomach. Long-term infection of the stomach with this germ may lead to inflammation (called chronic atrophic gastritis) and pre-cancerous changes of the inner lining of the stomach. (See “Do we know what causes stomach cancer?”)

People with stomach cancer have a higher rate of H pylori infection than people without this cancer. H pylori infection is also linked to some types of lymphoma of the stomach. Even so, most people who carry this germ in their stomach never develop cancer.

Stomach lymphoma

People who have had a certain type of lymphoma of the stomach known as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma have an increased risk of getting adenocarcinoma of the stomach. This is probably because MALT lymphoma of the stomach is caused by infection with H pylori bacteria.

Diet

An increased risk of stomach cancer is seen in people with diets that have large amounts of smoked foods, salted fish and meat, and pickled vegetables. Nitrates and nitrites are substances commonly found in cured meats. They can be converted by certain bacteria, such as H pylori, into compounds that have been shown to cause stomach cancer in lab animals.

On the other hand, eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables appears to lower the risk of stomach cancer. (See “Can stomach cancer be prevented?”)

Tobacco use

Smoking increases stomach cancer risk, particularly for cancers of the upper portion of the stomach near the esophagus. The rate of stomach cancer is about doubled in smokers.

Being overweight or obese

Being overweight or obese is a possible cause of cancers of the cardia (the upper part of the stomach nearest the esophagus), but the strength of this link is not yet clear.

Previous stomach surgery

Stomach cancers are more likely to develop in people who have had part of their stomach removed to treat non-cancerous diseases such as ulcers. This might be because the stomach makes less acid, which allows more nitrite-producing bacteria to be present. Reflux (backup) of bile from the small intestine into the stomach after surgery might also add to the increased risk. These cancers typically develop many years after the surgery.

Pernicious anemia

Certain cells in the stomach lining normally make a substance called intrinsic factor (IF) that we need to absorb vitamin B12 from foods. People without enough IF may end up with a vitamin B12 deficiency, which affects the body’s ability to make new red blood cells and can cause other problems as well. This condition is called pernicious anemia. Along with anemia (too few red blood cells), people with this disease have an increased risk of stomach cancer.

Menetrier disease (hypertrophic gastropathy)

In this condition, excess growth of the stomach lining causes large folds in the lining and leads to low levels of stomach acid. Because this disease is very rare, it is not known exactly how much this increases the risk of stomach cancer.

Type A blood

Blood type groups refer to certain substances that are normally present on the surface of red blood cells and some other types of cells. These groups are important in matching blood for transfusions. For unknown reasons, people with type A blood have a higher risk of getting stomach cancer.

Inherited cancer syndromes

Some inherited conditions may raise a person’s risk of stomach cancer.

Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer

This inherited syndrome greatly increases the risk of developing stomach cancer. This condition is rare, but the lifetime stomach cancer risk among affected people is about 70% to 80%. Women with this syndrome also have an increased risk of getting a certain type of breast cancer. This condition is caused by mutations (defects) in the CDH1 gene.

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)

HNPCC, also known as Lynch syndrome, is an inherited genetic disorder that increases the risk of colorectal cancer. People with this syndrome also have an increased risk of getting stomach cancer (as well as some other cancers). In most cases, this disorder is caused by a defect in either the MLH1 or MSH2 gene, but other genes can cause HNPCC, including MLH3, MSH6, TGFBR2, PMS1, and PMS2.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

In FAP syndrome, people get many polyps in the colon, and sometimes in the stomach and intestines as well. People with this syndrome are at greatly increased risk of getting colorectal cancer and have a slightly increased risk of getting stomach cancer. It is caused by mutations in the APC gene.

BRCA1 and BRCA2

People who carry mutations of the inherited breast cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 may also have a higher rate of stomach cancer.

Li-Fraumeni syndrome

People with this syndrome have an increased risk of several types of cancer, including developing stomach cancer at a relatively young age. Li-Fraumeni syndrome is caused by a mutation in the TP53 gene.

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS)

People with this condition develop polyps in the stomach and intestines, as well as in other areas including the nose, the airways of the lungs, and the bladder. The polyps in the stomach and intestines are a special type called hamartomas. They can cause problems like bleeding or blockage of the intestines. PJS can also cause dark freckle-like spots on the lips, inner cheeks and other areas. People with PJS have an increased risk of cancers of the breast, colon, pancreas, stomach, and several other organs. This syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene STK1.

A family history of stomach cancer

People with first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) who have had stomach cancer are more likely to develop this disease.

Some types of stomach polyps

Polyps are non-cancerous growths on the lining of the stomach. Most types of polyps (such as hyperplastic polyps or inflammatory polyps) do not seem to increase a person’s risk of stomach cancer, but adenomatous polyps – also called adenomas – can sometimes develop into cancer.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection

Epstein-Barr virus causes infectious mononucleosis (also called mono). Almost all adults have been infected with this virus at some time in their lives, usually as children or teens.

EBV has been linked to some forms of lymphoma. It is also found in the cancer cells of about 5% to 10% of people with stomach cancer. These people tend to have a slower growing, less aggressive cancer with a lower tendency to spread. EBV has been found in some stomach cancer cells, but it isn’t yet clear if this virus actually causes stomach cancer.

Certain occupations

Workers in the coal, metal, and rubber industries seem to have a higher risk of getting stomach cancer.

Common variable immune deficiency (CVID)

People with CVID have an increased risk of stomach cancer. The immune system of someone with CVID can’t make enough antibodies in response to germs. People with CVID have frequent infections as well as other problems, including atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia. They are also more likely to get gastric lymphoma and stomach cancer.


Source  By.....http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-risk-factors

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The importent Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer

Unfortunately, early-stage stomach cancer rarely causes symptoms. This is one of the reasons stomach cancer is so hard to detect early. The signs and symptoms of stomach cancer can include:

    *Poor appetite
    *Weight loss (without trying)
    *Abdominal (belly) pain
    *Vague discomfort in the abdomen, usually above the navel
    *A sense of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating a small meal
    *Heartburn or indigestion
    *Nausea
    *Vomiting, with or without blood
    *Swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen
    *Low red blood cell count (anemia)

Most of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by things other than cancer, such as a stomach virus or an ulcer. They may also occur with other types of cancer. But people who have any of these problems, especially if they don’t go away or get worse, should check with their doctor so the cause can be found and treated.

Since symptoms of stomach cancer often do not appear until the disease is advanced, only about 1 in 5 stomach cancers in the United States is found at an early stage, before it has spread to other areas of the body.


Source By..http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-signs-symptoms

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Risk Factors for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)

What are the risk factors for acute lymphocytic leukemia?

A risk factor is something that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.

But risk factors don’t tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will definitely get the disease. And many people who get the disease may have few or no known risk factors. Even if a person has one or more risk factors and develops cancer, it is often very hard to know how much they might have contributed to the cancer.

There are only a few known risk factors for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

Radiation exposure

Being exposed to high levels of radiation is a risk factor for both ALL and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Japanese atomic bomb survivors had a greatly increased risk of developing acute leukemia, usually within 6 to 8 years after exposure.

Treating cancer with radiation therapy also increases the risk of leukemia, although AML is more often seen than ALL. The risk seems to be higher if chemotherapy and radiation are both used in treatment.

The possible risks of leukemia from being exposed to lower levels of radiation, such as from medical imaging tests (such as x-rays) are not well-known. Exposure of a fetus to radiation within the first months of development may carry an increased risk of leukemia, but the extent of the risk is not clear.

If there is an increased risk from lower levels of radiation it is likely to be small, but to be safe, most doctors try to limit a person’s exposure to radiation as much as possible.

Certain chemical exposures

The risk of ALL may be increased by exposure to certain chemotherapy drugs and certain chemicals, including benzene. Benzene is a solvent used in the rubber industry, oil refineries, chemical plants, shoe manufacturing, and gasoline-related industries, and is also present in cigarette smoke, as well as some glues, cleaning products, detergents, art supplies, and paint strippers. Chemical exposure is more strongly linked to an increased risk of AML than to ALL.

Certain viral infections

Infection with the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) can cause a rare type of T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. Most cases occur in Japan and the Caribbean area. This disease is not common in the United States.

In Africa, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been linked to Burkitt lymphoma, as well as to a form of acute lymphocytic leukemia. In the United States, EBV most often causes infectious mononucleosis (“mono”).

Inherited syndromes

Acute lymphocytic leukemia does not appear to be an inherited disease. It does not seem to run in families, so a person’s risk is not increased if a family member has the disease. But there are some inherited syndromes with genetic changes that seem to raise the risk of ALL. These include:

   * Down syndrome
   * Klinefelter syndrome
   * Fanconi anemia
   * Bloom syndrome
   * Ataxia-telangiectasia
   * Neurofibromatosis

Race/ethnicity

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is more common in whites than in African Americans, but the reasons for this are not clear.
Gender

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is slightly more common in males than in females. The reason for this is unknown.
Having an identical twin with ALL

Someone who has an identical twin who develops ALL in the first year of life has an increased risk of getting ALL.
Uncertain, unproven or controversial risk factors

Other factors that have been studied for a possible link to ALL include:

    *Exposure to electromagnetic fields (such as living near power lines or using cell phones)
   * Workplace exposure to diesel, gasoline, pesticides, and certain other chemicals
   * Smoking
   * Exposure to hair dyes

So far, none of these factors has been linked conclusively to ALL. Research in these areas continues.


Source By.......http://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-acutelymphocyticallinadults/detailedguide/leukemia-acute-lymphocytic-risk-factors

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Signs and symptoms of a cancer of unknown primary

The signs and symptoms of a cancer of unknown primary vary depending on which organs it has spread to. It’s important to note that none of the symptoms listed below is caused only by CUP. In fact, they are more likely to be caused by something other than cancer. Still, if you have symptoms that suggest that something abnormal may be going on, consult a doctor so that the cause can be evaluated and treated, if needed.

Some possible symptoms of CUP include:

Swollen, firm, non-tender lymph nodes

Normal lymph nodes are bean-sized collections of immune system cells located throughout the body that are important in fighting infections. Cancers often spread to the lymph nodes, which become swollen and firmer. A person might notice a lump (enlarged lymph node) under the skin on the side of the neck, above the collarbone, under the arms, or in the groin area. Sometimes, a doctor notices them first during a routine checkup.

A mass in the abdomen that can be felt or a feeling of “fullness”

A mass is an abnormal area such as a swelling or firm area that can be caused by a tumor. This can be caused by cancer growing in the liver or less often, the spleen.

Sometimes the cancer cells grow on the surface of many organs in the abdomen. This may cause ascites, the buildup of fluid inside the abdomen. The fluid buildup can swell the abdomen. It can sometimes lead to a feeling of fullness or bloating.

Shortness of breath

This symptom may be caused by cancer that has spread to the lungs or by the build-up of fluid and cancer cells in the space around the lungs (a pleural effusion).

Pain in the chest or abdomen

This may be caused by cancer growing around nerves or by tumors pressing against internal organs.

Bone pain

Cancer that has spread to the bones can sometimes cause severe pain. Common areas of pain include the back and the legs and hips, but any bone can be affected. The bones may be weakened by the cancer’s spread, and can break from minor injuries or even the normal stress of supporting the body’s weight. This can lead to a sudden severe pain or worsening of pain that was already there.

Skin tumors

Some cancers that start in internal organs can spread through the bloodstream to the skin. Because bumps in the skin are easily seen, skin metastases are sometimes the first sign of spread from a CUP.

Low red blood cell counts (anemia)

Cancer that started in the gastrointestinal system (such as esophagus, stomach, small intestines, or colon) can bleed. Often this occurs at a slow rate, so that the blood isn’t visible in the stool. Eventually, this can lead to low red blood cell counts.

Red blood cell counts can also become low if the cancer spreads to the bone marrow and crowds out the normal blood forming cells.

Weakness, fatigue, poor appetite, and weight loss

These symptoms are often seen with more advanced cancers. They may occur because the cancer has spread to specific organs or systems such as the bone marrow or digestive system. Some cancers also release substances into the bloodstream that can affect metabolism and cause these problems.

This is by no means a complete list of symptoms that might be caused by CUPs. Again, most of the symptoms above are more likely to be caused by conditions other than cancer, Still, if you have any of these problems, it’s important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed.


Source By.....http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerofunknownprimary/detailedguide/cancer-unknown-primary-signs-symptoms

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You should know Some important Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer

Unfortunately, early-stage stomach cancer rarely causes symptoms. This is one of the reasons stomach cancer is so hard to detect early. The signs and symptoms of stomach cancer can include:


    *Poor appetite

    *Weight loss (without trying)

    *Abdominal (belly) pain

    *Vague discomfort in the abdomen, usually above the navel

    *A sense of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating a small meal

    *Heartburn or indigestion

    *Nausea

    *Vomiting, with or without blood

    *Swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen

    *Low red blood cell count (anemia)

Most of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by things other than cancer, such as a stomach virus or an ulcer. They may also occur with other types of cancer. But people who have any of these problems, especially if they don’t go away or get worse, should check with their doctor so the cause can be found and treated.

Since symptoms of stomach cancer often do not appear until the disease is advanced, only about 1 in 5 stomach cancers in the United States is found at an early stage, before it has spread to other areas of the body.


Source By.......http://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomachcancer/detailedguide/stomach-cancer-signs-symptoms

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