Stomach Cancer Symptoms: What You Need To Know

As it turns out, evaluating the "redox state" of tumor tissue can be a helpful tool in diagnosing stomach cancer. It may even be used to control the effectiveness of the therapy to combat stomach cancer. This is according to a new study from Kazan Federal University in Russia.

Redox State Explained

According to chemguide.co.uk, a redox reaction occurs when oxidation (gain of oxygen) and reduction (loss of oxygen) happen simultaneously. Meanwhile, the University of Iowa said that the redox state of a redox couple -- a pair of chemicals -- "is defined by the half-cell reduction potential and the reducing capacity of that couple." 

Cancer.org explained that stomach cancer is a type of cancer that develops slowly over many years. Pre-cancerous changes rarely cause symptoms, preventing detection, it added. 

Biology professor Adam de la Zerda: The refrigerator has nearly eliminated deaths by stomach cancer. #TEDxStanfordhttps://t.co/egLMVg3ziB

— Stanford University (@Stanford) April 24, 2016

A recently released study by the American Institute for Cancer Research has linked stomach cancer with alcohol, processed meat and obesity. Another new study by World Cancer Research Fund showed that bacon and beer intake may up the risk for stomach cancer as well.

Types Of Stomach Cancer

There are several types of stomach cancers, according to cancer.org. These are adenocarcinoma, lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), carcinoid tumor and other cancers.

Cancer.org noted that 90-95% of stomach cancers are adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas grow from the mucosa, the cells that form the innermost lining of the stomach.

Meanwhile, 4% of stomach cancers are lymphomas. They are actually cancers of the immune system that can sometimes be found in the stomach's walls.

GISTs being in very early forms of cells in the stomach's walls that are referred to as interstitial cells of Cajal. These are tumors of the rare kind and some are benign. Most GISTs are found in the stomach though they may also be located in other areas of the digestive tract.

Carcinoid tumors make up around 3% of all stomach cancers. Carcinoid tumors refer to those tumors that grow from the hormone-making cells of the stomach.

The other cancers that may begin in the stomach are squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and leiomyosarcoma. These types of stomach cancer are very rare in nature.